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Lucifer: Yearning Armageddon

Chapter 7

|| Every Sin Has a Price ||

Rossweisse was flabbergasted.

Manys words could carry the same meaning with differing intensity. Bewilderment was the mildest, but her mind told her nothing had quite the kick like 'flabbergasted'.

Her trip to the Shinto Pantheon had been nothing but brief. Izanagi-no-Okami, their Chief God clad in white and black robe, personally welcomed and greeted The Devil with a degree of respect, admiration, and a healthy input of wariness borderlining fear. Lucifer promptly showed him the amulet and asked only one simple question, and his answer was straight to the point.

Kisshōten. Shinto Goddess of happiness, fertility, and beauty. An extremely beautiful woman — but that was a normalcy for goddesses regardless of their religions. Getting jealous over their beauty was pointless. They were a being above her, after all.

Izanagi summoned her to his side, and had her explain everything she knew to The Devil, and all Lucifer did was nod his head with every point she made.

First, the pendant was called the Amulet of Fertility. The amber orb set in that amulet served as a gateway to its pocket dimension. A portable paradise, she had mentioned, as it was tailored and built specifically for the comfort of the Kyuubi. A place where its only rule was that it was an ordinary world to anyone, except for Yasaka, as in order to conceive a child, her body must remain as it was on the Physical Realm.

Second, it was a gift for the Guardian of the Yōkai. Her prayers to be able to bear a child were heard and not gone unnoticed, or disapproved. Not a trap. Yasaka should be able to leave the amulet through a doorway. Which, as Lucifer had learned during his past visits, was nowhere to be found.

Third, the missing door meant it had been tampered with. The pocket paradise had been transformed into a trap.

Lastly, the goddess' messenger, the one meant to deliver her gift to Yasaka, had not returned. Kisshōten last heard from them when they reported their arrival in Old Kyoto. A Realm separated from the one they oversaw; the Realm of the Living. In a simpler word; Japan.

"I see," Lucifer said, his tone smooth. She could hear his next actions brewing in his head despite his straight face. "I appreciate this."

And that was it. No more exchange. Not even pleasantries. To her, it seemed both The Devil and the Shinto gods had known each other for a long while. Unsurprising — Lucifer was God's first creation. Neither seemed willing to overextend their welcome.

Just like that, Rossweisse bowed politely to the smiling gods, and scurried over to rejoin her employer before he shut the Gate.

Rossweisse tripped a little for mistepping, and Lucifer caught her— "Scheisse—!" —with a palm to her face.

She begrudgingly muttered her thanks, followed with a minor complaint as she tidied her silver bangs. "...I thought you're supposed to be gentlemanly…"

"To gentleladies."

"I'm a lady too!" she fumed, but couldn't exactly stay mad at him because his amused self-satisfied smirk and short chuckle-like laugh was doing things to her maiden heart. Bad things, no doubt. Evil notions. Impure thoughts. Such and such.

The Devil, she shuddered, mentally slapping herself.

Not even once.

Pushing those wicked notions aside, crumpling them like paper and dumping them in the invisible garbage bin, her sober blue eyes wandered around the new location. From a glance, it was and most certainly a bedroom. A traditional Japanese one, for a fact. The door was made from translucent sheets on a lattice frame and the unique tatami mats flooring. She could feel the trace of magic tickling her skin, but she assumed it was the usual soundproofing and reinforcing magic and the like. All the abodes in Asgard were enchanted by such.

It was dimly lit with candles, a warm tender orange glow illuminating the bedroom. From out the window, she could spot the moonlight, bringing a comforting beauty to the graphite night.

She hugged her body, feeling a bit cold. Asgard had no cold season, and cold air was often linked to the Frost Giant's Realm of Jotunheim. Considered an ill omen for the more superstitious Asgardians, but she knew some kids who wanted to see what snow was like.

"Uh…where are we now?" she finally asked as Lucifer moved towards a desk as if he was the owner of this bedroom, and leaned against it.

"Old Kyoto," he said, to the point as ever whilst being completely vague.

He sat down, and Rossweisse stood on her spot. A splash of confusion smeared her face. She thought for a moment before asking, "Are we waiting for anyone? Or something…? Anything, to happen? …Are we even allowed inside here?"

"Both. And yes."

She waited. For him to say anything. Something to break the silence that was getting to her. "...So…I…guess you've met the Shinto Pantheon before…?"

"Curious of the past are you? Considering a career path as a historian?"

Rossweisse fumbled, "W-Well there's only been scriptures and legends, both that are written by humans… I mean…" she awkwardly rubbed her arm, both to feel less awkward and warm herself. "I mean you've been around. Longer than any of us."

He raised a dark eyebrow, his gaze steady, even, hinting at his mild amusement. "Calling me old?"

"That's totally not what I meant. Gods don't age— a-and d-don't you put words in my mouth," Rossweisse tried to fight back, to act brave, that The Devil did not scare her, but her stammer betrayed the effect she wanted and made her embarrassed instead. A light blush colored her cheeks and she fidgeted with her fingers. "...It's not like everyday I get to confirm past events…"

Hmm. Lucifer mused on his 'assistant' thus far. He hadn't expected much from her and the bar was set ridiculously low; it might trip a newborn child. But nonetheless, she was growing on him. She reminded her of Brynn when she was just as young and inexperienced. Frigga, Freya, as he called her, always attempted to cajole him into marrying her daughter. To steal her heart from Sigurd before it was all too late.

Too late it was. A more significant matter occupied him. Said important matter was creating and shaping his own universe. It took God seven billion years, failing numerous times and littering his canvas with chunks of floating rocks. Failed Edens. Planets, asteroids, moons, and other astronomical objects for humans.

Lucifer only needed a couple of years. But to be fair to the ol god, his Creation was much smaller. Much compact. Much easily observable in a glance. He didn't bother with the aspects of Time. There was no Void to take shape. No Gaps. No Free Will. No Civilizations. No Space. No Chaos.

Only Hell — which official name he hadn't yet decided.

And for the damned souls? Other than experiencing Pain of their constant torment, the Guilt, Sadness, and Loneliness that debilitate the soul, he granted them the ability to Hope and Dream: to Hope and Dream of a Heaven that never existed in that universe.

He recalled Yasaka shuddering when he told her that. Her furs were raised like she had been rolling over a carpet. He found her reaction both cute and amusing. Strange how truth brought more horror than a lie could ever hope for.

"Fine then," Lucifer offered the valkyrie a simple smile. That smile grew into a small grin at seeing her eyes brightening. "Ask away."

"Oh good!" Rossweisse tried to find a chair to sit, but noting there was only a bed and the only chair was directly next to his desk, she chose to stand. "Did you…do any favors with them? The Shinto Gods, I mean?"

He nodded several times, like bobbing his head to a beat only he could hear. "Ever heard of Izanami's tale?"

She nodded this time. "Yes… She was… his wife, right? She gave birth to a god— Susanoo, I think, but was horrifically burned. Went to the World of Darkness to hide her scarred face from Izanagi, but he followed her there because of grief, but she couldn't leave because… she had eaten the food of that place?" Gods' tales rarely ever made sense to her… but maybe it was just an expression saying she was poisoned?

Lucifer folded his arms, but gestured to her to go on with a tipping of his chin. "And…when Izanagi lit a torch— or just a fire, he saw her rotting and covered with icky insects, and fled… and then a chase happened. Some peaches and bamboo were included in the legend, I think?" she squinted her right eye, trying to jog her memories. "Anyway, he managed to flee and sealed Izanami with a rock, symbolically ending their marriage there. Or union. Either way, what the Hel?! That's just rude and unfair to Izanami! What happened to true romance here?"

He laughed in amusement. "And then he took a bath because he felt polluted by Yomi, birthing Three Precocious Children— yes, that was how the legend goes."

Precocious? Shouldn't that be Precious? "...Is that the truth?"

The Devil pondered for a moment. "Exaggerated, and certain elements are of truth. Izanami didn't leave Yomi because that is her domain. It's her Realm. Not because of some soup. While Izanagi did visit her out of grief, her demons chased him to keep him there as she didn't want him to leave. Attachment is one hell of a drug, I'll have you know. Turns you into a bear trap. Clamps on your lover. Hurting them. And if they manage to flee, they'll have lost a piece of themselves that you get to keep. You don't need me to tell you why they'll never bother returning."

"Huh…" she muttered softly, pensively. The thought of doubting his words didn't cross her mind. "So…what happened next? Why did he seal Yomi? So she doesn't follow him?"

"So he can easily find her when he's found a solution to her disfigured face."

"You," she answered the non-question.

"Me." Lucifer passively nodded. "I wasn't a God then. Just an archangel that… did not so much fall as I sauntered vaguely downwards." Rossweisse tittered lightly, getting the joke that many had missed. Not bad, for a book geek. "I'd have taken a different approach now, but in the past, my options weren't as unlimited."

"Then what did you do?" Rossweisse probed, impatient by his preambles.

"Had Freya scolded him for judging his own wife by her appearance. And when he still couldn't accept it, bothered by both her looks and personality, I persuaded him to move on. What's the point of binding your soul to another that would rather have you dead than see you free?"

"Oh." Rossweisse blinked. "...Then what about the lake? The Three Precious Children?"

"It's where he fucked his new wife."

Rossweisse punctually covered her ears. "AAAAAAAHH— not listening! Not jealous! Can't hear - can't envy!"

Never running low of copium, this valkyrie.

It was then the door behind her slid open, causing her to flinch. Her knee jerk reflex was to swivel around briskly and evoked a dozen magic circles of varying colors and runes and sigils glowered behind her, ready to unleash hell at the frightened kitsune.

"Wh-who are you?!" Rossweisse demanded, not liking to be surprised.

Although utterly horrified, her ears flattened and her tail tucked underneath her long red skirt of a shrine maiden, the kitsune raised her arms in a defensive stance. "I-I-I-I should be the one asking you that!"

"She's a helper." Behind, Lucifer frowned. That was one of Yasaka's many attendants, not the kitsune he was expecting. The screaming and chaos outside certainly didn't help lift his mood. He stood up, and approached the doorway. Rossweisse had diffused her magic and was about to profusely apologize for the misunderstanding, but Lucifer spoke first, "What happened here."

The pair of auburn vulpine ears perked up as her eyes lit with hope in spite of the dread. "L-Lucifer-sama!" she cried, her expression returning to its earlier state as fear consumed her. "I-It's Yasaka-dono! Sh-She was am-ambushed by a group of brigands a-and—"

"Where are they?" he calmly asked, but visibly annoyed by the development.

"I-In the deep woods— we're gathering an army to rescue her— and Kunou is—"

"No need. Everyone stays," he said with the cold steel tone of finality. But it wasn't an order, it was a suggestion… if they knew what was best for them. "I'll go."

Break

'Stay awake, stay awake… Think… Think!'

Her thoughts yelled inside her mind, but her body was faint. Her vision was hazy and Tamamo couldn't tell how far they had taken her in the deep woods, but she was determined to stay awake. If she fell asleep or faint, there'd be no way for her to maintain her illusionary magic.

"Ofh—!" she yelped as a blunt edge jabbed her stomach, forcing her to lurch forward, gasping for breath.

"Turn already, fox," one of her kidnappers demanded. A human, she could tell, wielding a spear with strange powers. "You think I'm enjoying this?"

"If you don't…" she rasped, glaring at him through her bangs, "then stop this at once…"

"If you mistake me for a man who'll let pity block his ambition—" He kicked the tail end of his spear, striking her chin as her vision instantly swayed. "—then you are terribly mistaken. I will do what I need to do to fulfill my destiny. Our destiny."

Hearing that, his band of heroes re-steeled their resolve, wiping away their pity and replaced it with righteous determination. They were here for a noble reason.

Tamamo didn't know that. Nor did she care. All she knew was that these people jumped at her when she was taking a stroll, murdered her Tengu Guards— Yasaka's Tengu Guards, bound her with an odd magic, and now demanding her to transform into a giant nine-tailed fox. She couldn't do that! She was a kitsune, not the Kyuubi!

"Ow! Stop it!" she whined in character, but not in Yasaka's character as she immediately lowered her voice and threatened back as the burliest of these humans grabbed her by her ears, winding up a punch, "—you will forever rue the day you make light of this Realm's Guardian. I am being merciful, for now, but don't mistake my mercifulness as leniency. You may break my body but my wrath won't shatter until you do—!"

Air was ripped out from her lungs, tore from her throat as a pain like no other exploded in her body. She felt the surging wind against her ears and another jolt of agony as she struck a tree bark, and another, and another, until she finally stopped, found herself staring at the jagged dirt path, bestrewn with destroyed oaks and fallen leaves. The result of her crash.

Her breathing came in shallow huffs and her body felt heavy. She gasped, brutal achings stabbed her chest and she coughed out something. Blood, she realized. Something was definitely broken. Tamamo slumped to the ground, her body trembling, ridden in cold sweat absorbed by the fabric of her clothing. She'd have to wash this white kimono later on…

'It hurts— it hurts!' she wanted to cry, but Yasaka would never cry, so she bit back her tears. Her Guardian would stay defiant to the bitter end and then some. She didn't know what else to do, but it was the only thing she could do — delay them. If she could stop them from harming the civilians, then she wouldn't have done her job so poorly.

Not long later, the bespectacled young man of the group approached her, and lifted and carried her atop a circular, horizontal plane of magical energy, and brought her back to the clearing.

"Give it up. No need for fake modesty or threats," the spearman said to her. Arrogance had become him, it appeared, and he was even half of a man of The Devil. "You will be a part of something greater, Lady Yasaka. Think of all the souls we can save."

"You're…insane…" she rasped, her words felt like sandpaper against her throat. "Dragon Gate…? You'll destroy this entire Realm…and all its inhabitants…all to fight an impossible fight…?" A grating hack chopped her sentence. "...You're not heroes, you're suicidal lunatics..."

He brandished his ornate spear, jabbing its flat end to the ground. "I wield the Spear of Truth; and I know only one truth, in that nothing is impossible."

"You must be impossibly stupid to believe that age old adage," a familiar, honey-like voice emerged, and in an impossible surge of energy, Tamamo raised her head, and saw The Devil walking through a blazing portal, along with a formally suited girl she'd never met before. His lawyer?

The lady gasped, eyes widening in horror as she saw the state of her bloodied and beaten state, but then those icy blues narrowed as she glanced over to Lucifer's chest, at her, then at him, and the heroes.

'She didn't know yet', Tamamo snuffled, whining in pain as she accidentally moved her hand.

The heroes assembled themselves, forming a line next to their conceited leader. "And you are?"

"Lucifer."

They chuckled. Some laughed boisterously.

"Yes, The Devil," he said, raising an eyebrow at the child of the group. Are they heroes and babysitters on the side? Egh…whatever. Not his place to care: he was too high up.

His crimson eyes swept over to her, and Tamamo's heart bloomed upon seeing the slightest twitch on the corner of his lips, before forming an equally subtle frown. 'He cared for me!' her heart was cheering, even her tails dirtied with mud and muck carried enough strength to wiggle.

"No wonder the air feels foul - the primates are breathing," he muttered, his words lined with nothing but a casual cordiality as he addressed this band of ruffians. "Who are you and what business do you have with her."

"What are you," the human instead questioned back. "You're no devil. We can tell. My spear was dipped with Christ's blood — it's tip would have reacted."

If Lucifer was childish he'd have lauded hundreds upon hundreds of jokes referencing a male's sexual organ, but he wasn't in a joking mood anymore.

"I'll skip the boring parts…" He'd rather not waste words with these gullible souls, so Lucifer listened to their desires. Not the inert ones, likely stemming from deep-rooted personal issues he had no interest in knowing, but the imminent one. One humans frequently defined as 'goals'.

"And offer you this; if it's the Apocalyptic Dragon itself that you wish to battle, then there's no need to abuse a lady. I can show you the way there — no rituals required, and you can have your grand battle without interruptions. But first: do any of you recognize this amulet?"

He grabbed the chain and showed them the pendant. He didn't wait for their reply as he only needed to read their body language. One seemed to be familiar with the item. "Excellent. Well, off you go," he clapped his hand once as he walked forward, moving to the kyuubi as a Gate materialized behind his wake, revealing a landless Realm with a myriad of colors. "Don't just stand there. Great Red doesn't linger in the same spot for too long. He's a 'rebel', so to speak."

The heroes stared at him, bewildered as he walked past them, completely ignoring them and the abuse they hurled towards his fox, and fingered the air with a flick.

A warm light encased her. Her torn skin reknit, her shattered bones and bruised internal organs mended themselves. The dark bruises on her flesh faded in a flash, leaving only her unmarred ivory skin. He didn't stop there, as the lights purified the dirt, the grime, the soots from her skin, furs and clothes, all in a matter of seconds.

His brows lowered for a moment as he noticed the mystical shackles binding her wrists and ankles. He stared at them, breaking apart their calculation, their formulas, and reformulating them into harmless bubbles that gently floated to the night skies.

Alerted, the rising apes pointed their weapon towards him. Swords, spears, magic circles — but Lucifer paid them no mind and extended his hand. "Come. Your servants are worried."

Tamamo happily reached out, but she jerked back as a silver blade of a spear held dangerously close to his neck.

"Don't ignore us."

"I'm not ignoring you," Lucifer said, calm and measured as he took her hand, helping her up, looking only at her with a warm gaze until she stood on her own.

The spear went through his neck as if he wasn't there.

His crimson eyes suddenly ran cold the moment he turned away from her. "You seem to have an inflated sense of your importance… hardly a surprise. I gave you what you want and yet you demand more…"

"I don't trust you. You or your…Dimensional Door. Who and what are you? An angel?"

"Close, but not quite," Lucifer smoothed down the creases on his suit, "And I've already told you my name. Don't make me repeat myself just because you're too unperceptive to be able to see a plain truth."

"Lucifer," the young hero stated, "is dead. For a thousand years."

"Greatly exaggerated. A thousandth of a second, perhaps."

A scoff and a laugh. A derisive thing. "Come then," he brandished his blue spear, its point hovering inches away from 'Lucifer'. "I am Cao Cao. Descendant of the legendary hero written in the Records of the Three Kingdom. I will have you test my blade."

There was a glint in his crimson eyes. "If I 'test' it, you and your people will take your leave. Through that door, or through wherever you came from."

"That's to be determined by the result. Winners write history."

Hmm. The usual winner or loser mentality. As if life was but a game. Nonetheless, Lucifer set the term, "Yes, or no."

"He's stalling you," said the brat. Lucifer only raised his eyebrow slightly in return, and the dark-skinned boy glowered at him. "...He can't be trusted."

A scoff. "Your concern is appreciated, Leonardo. But yes," said he to The Devil. "If only to stop you from wasting our time."

The Devil shrugged, but accepted the proposition nonetheless. "If you say so."

Lucifer gently laid his fingers upon the blade, clutched it like he was about to break off a piece from a chocolate bar. The hero yanked it away, but found that he couldn't, and arrogance vanished from his face the moment Lucifer shattered a small portion of the blade.

"There. I tested it."

He let the pieces fall, rubbing his fingers like he was sprinkling salt. Tiny shrapnels glittered over the packed dirt like fallen stars, and the Star of Morning proceeded towards his destination.

Cao Cao and his heroic companions stared at the True Longinus in mute disbelief, at its broken blade and the pieces jumbled all over the ground, and then back at the dapperly suited man.

Tamamo didn't exactly know what he just did or the significance of that spear, but she was glad to be visited again by him. Wasting no time in hugging his side, making sure it was away from the heroes, Tamamo followed him tightly, glaring at the mean people who beat her up. She practically became a sloth to a walking tree.

She nuzzled his chest, keeping it together. 'Soon, Tamamo, soon,' she told herself, reminding her visage was still the Guardian's. "Thank you for rescuing me."

"Rescue you? From who?"

"...Ara…?" her character broke. "From…them…?"

"That so? You didn't seem to be threatened. Harmed, sure, but you're stronger than them. I broke their toy and their Pride shrank. Sacred Gears… Longinus… one trick pony," he chuckled, effortlessly instilling a sense of Pride to the pink fox in the golden fox. "You on the other hand, stayed stalwart. Unfailingly kept your promise to her. Color me impressed."

Tamamo nearly cried happy tears. She thought she wanted to hear him consoling her, asking if she was hurt, maybe showing a bit of pity… not… this… She knew she had no chance or deserved to stand side by side with Yasaka, let alone Lucifer, but perhaps she had just been thinking too much about it…

He spared an odd glance at Rossweisse, whose eyes were trained at the heroes, visibly confused on what to do, if they were hostile or not. "...What… What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay behind."

"W-Well I didn't know anybody back there!" the valkyrie turned assistant sputtered, hurriedly pacing to his unaccompanied side. Her Envy was held at bay by her wariness towards the heroes behind her. She kept staring past her shoulder as she replied, "And I thought by 'everyone' you meant everyone in that place! And I've been here since you got here!"

"Really? How dismal your presence must've been."

"Wh—" Rossweisse swelled her cheeks, but she put aside her petulant rage as she witnessed the heroes going inside the open portal. They looked… determined, for what just happened. What was up with that guy and his strange spear though? "Erm…is...is that alright? Let me guess, you're acquainted with Great Red too?"

"Nope," he chimed. "Never talked to her. They're too… single-minded for my taste."

Rossweisse was stuck at one word. "...Her?"

"Him, her. They… It," Lucifer shrugged. "He, like the other lizard, chooses to appear however they want."

The valkyrie nodded duly.

"Who is she?" 'Yasaka?' then asked. "...You seem to trust her, should I as well?"

"O-Oh, I'm Rossweisse…it's…erm… a pleasure to meet you…Lady Yasaka?"

"It's fine," Lucifer said to the kitsune. "She's smart. She won't tell."

"Okay," Tamamo chirped and temporarily uncloaked her face, revealing her younger appearance than the face she donned as well as turning her bangs pink: her true hair color. "I'm Tamamo-no-Mae, a pleasure… but please don't tell anyone else!"

And just as hurriedly, her face shifted to Yasaka's thinner, elegant frame.

"Tamamo…?" The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember from what book she had first found the name. Rossweisse quickly picked up the bread crumbs, piecing the information together. "A-Ah… I see… Her people would have panicked without their Guardian…"

"Exactly." Yasaka's substitute smiled — perhaps the only glaring difference as Yasaka's smile was never as cheerful.

The two girls looked back, and saw neither the door or heroes were present any more.

"...Are you…alright?" Rossweisse finally asked, now that conflict seemed avoided. "You were hurt pretty badly back there…"

The reply was said with a tittering laugh. "Oh I've had worse!"

Her heart bled right then. "O-Oh…okay… That's…good…? I guess…" the valkyrie muttered uneasily. She felt like she was the only one disturbed upon hearing that and immediately thought she was overreacting and was being patronizing like Lucifer had mentioned, so she switched her focus to the task at hand, and coughed into her fist.

"U-Um, Lucifer, shouldn't we… you, have taken one of them for… y'know… questions? The blonde girl looked like she knew something…." she suspected. "She raised her eyebrows while the others looked confused or didn't care."

Lucifer made a face. It was one of mild amusement. "Perceptive. Well done, Watson."

Rossweisse felt her insides surge with embarrassing joy at his acknowledgement. Odin wasn't the most generous with compliments after all since she was just doing what was expected from a secretary.

She looked at him strangely as he stretched his hand out, and a Gate spawned right in front of him, spitting out the female warrior in strangely designed orange armor that couldn't be considered as armor.

Her neck conveniently fell to his grip, and Rossweisse reminded herself why nearly everyone saw him as The Devil.

"And here she is…" he smiled thinly, unceremoniously snapping the girl's neck as she went limp immediately. "Our hero."

Break

Ever since becoming a God, Death became nothing but a minor inconvenience. She might be miserable considering how many had cheated her. To be fair, Lilith's spawns —the devils—, had cleverly used it as a bargaining chip. A life of servitude in the beautiful facade of 'second chance'... He must admit, they did learn a trick or two regarding negotiation from him. The illusion of choice. A thing created by those with power and those without. The dying or dead generally fell to the latter category.

But he didn't use death for such a thing. He could hypnotize the girl to sleep, but he didn't feel like using his energy more than he had. Endless as it might be, that didn't mean he'd go around wasting it.

He had Rossweisse tied the brave warrior to a chair in an empty room, where nobody may enter or exit without his will. Tamamo was consoling Yasaka's adopted daughter elsewhere. He had yet to meet, but perhaps he should, considering that kitsune would be his daughter's step-sister in the coming future.

Next to him, pacing around back and forth was the valkyrie, who had berated him the moment he temporarily killed the girl. He didn't kill her, he just unattached her soul and sent it to Limbo.

And now, he reached into the empty dark space and threw it back to its vessel.

Her eyes shot wide and she gasped loudly as the colors returned to her skin. "What… What?! Where am I—?!" Noticing her tied hand and the layout of the room, she realized she had been held captive. "Where have you taken me?!"

"A room," he said dryly, answering without answering as per usual. "The pendant, girl. Who tampered it and why. Tell the truth and I'll toss you back to your herd…" Lucifer firmly seized her attention. "Delay and I'll throw you back to that place."

She spat at his face, but Lucifer fried her saliva in mid air with a precise wall of demonic energy. Small and just the right size to completely destroy her pathetic attempt at defiance. Power of Destruction truly came in handy sometimes.

The girl snarled at him. "You won't get anything from me."

"Make no mistake into thinking your cooperation is a necessity in getting what I need."

She had the sense to pale at that.

"L-Let me, Lucifer. Let me ask her."

Methodically, Lucifer walked right next to Rossweisse, stared for a moment, turned around, conjured his throne, and sat.

He unfastened his buttons, then adopted his 'Lucifer Slouch'; a pose that exuded arrogance and disinterest, and a spark of amusement. Rossweisse learned from Odin's lounging posture on his throne that there was a fine line between a bored monarch who had been desensitized to be able to truly connect with the world due to partaking in countless battles and deaths, and a pre-teen who was just trying to look cool or rebellious.

Well. Rossweisse wouldn't be thinking that way if she had known the New Hell was a democracy. Lucifer was no king or a monarch or even a president. His demons worked not for him, but for themselves. Although in doing so they conveniently did a majority of his 'work' as the disciplinarian, but nonetheless the infernal demons were free to indulge in any activity they considered fun at a whim. Bored with pulling nails? Have a round at the children blender.

Hell was an open gate to adults. They poured in like it was having a sale. But children? Suffice to say, they weren't as many in Hell. The sacrifice of Christ paid for the sins of those who cannot choose to believe or cannot understand the weight of their committed sin, but pass that age? Pass that maturity?

Fair is fair. God condemned his humans for eternal punishments. A bit much, he personally thought, since those cretins were imperfectly made and lasted no longer than a blink in the grand scheme of things, but Lucifer got booed and booted off Eden for 'questioning His ways'.

They had to do something so unspeakably vile to qualify, but there were children in Hell. Little hoards of twisted maniacs. Murder, deception, manipulation, bullying that led to suicide were the common crimes. Each crime viler and colorful than the last. There was always some little monster masquerading as a harmlessly sweet pig-tailed angel with adorable dimples.

Hell is a democracy.

There is no special place for children that earned their spot.

"Go on," he nudged at the other person in the room. "Have at it. You have ten minutes before I melt her brain and make her live long enough to drink it."

Rossweisse's face blanched. Her only comfort was knowing she wasn't the blonde hero, who looked like she had seen her own reflection in the mirror smile at her. When Lucifer tossed his gaze onto his wrist, checking the time, Rossweisse stiffened and walked over to her interrogee.

"R-Right, uhm…" she cleared her throat, trying to calm her nerves. She knew her role in the 'good cop/bad cop' routine was the result of her plea to him to spare the girl, but she didn't expect to be held responsible for a life. A Life. Failing meant death for this girl that didn't even look any younger than her.

'Deep breath, Rose, remember what Grandmama taught you… you're the sky. Everything else is just the weather… They'll pass by.'

Reciting Göndul's words, the valkyrie exhaled a sigh, and along with it was her worry and fear and dread of failing.

Lucifer watched her act as the quiet observant. Her words were clear but spoken gently. It'd be as easy as melting butter with hellfire to read the girl's mind. He could even eliminate her ability to lie so that nothing but the full truths came out of her mouth. That said, his threat was not empty. The valkyrie had impressed him during his squabble with dear Gabrielle by keeping her composure, but back then she didn't have any responsibility. No pressure. No reason to crack.

Some might deem him cruel but Lucifer had no intention of being tagged along by a holier-than-thou attitude. And cruel? He had seen cruelty. He considered it his former Creator's worst nature. Choosing Abel's animal sacrifice more than Cain's vegetables just because a living thing meant more to Abel than a carrot to Cain?

"I don't know anything."

That was a blatant lie and of itself. Nobody knows nothing. Even newly born babies knew how to find and latch on to a nipple to feed.

"Even if I do, I won't share it with you."

Now that was the truth. For the moment

Rossweisse warily glanced over to The Devil, gulped, then back to the girl. "Maybe we start off on the wrong foot — but you came here with your leader, I'll assume, and attacked this Realm's ruler and protector. You understand how that placed you here, right?"

Though she was gritting her teeth, the woman seemed to be aware at least that much. "...We do the things we do to protect all of humanity. You can't see it now, but you'll see later once my companions defeat the Dragon of Apocalypse."

She had a hero mindset alright. One that was brainwashed with good intentions, unknowingly paving their way straight to Hell.

Lucifer kept his silence. He had always handled this kind of thing on his own, because he could. This was a change. Whether it was a nice or an unpleasant one was yet to be determined.

"How are you going to do that? Dragon Gate needs three dragons to be summoned."

"The energy of three dragons."

Rossweisse furrowed her lilac brows. Yasaka was powerful, perhaps equaling a dragon… but three? "You think Lady Yasaka will suffice?"

"Of course not," Jeanne huffed. "This Realm's Leyline is."

Her eyes widened in horror. "You're willing to starve both Yasaka and the spirits, every person living in this quiet place?!"

"And we'll save the rest of the Realms. The hardest of choice requires the hardest of will."

Rossweisse couldn't believe this. She swallowed a spit, and recomposed herself. At least that plan was foiled. "All to fight a Dragon God?"

"Not just to fight," Jeanne narrowed her eyes, defiant. "To defeat him."

"But…why?" Rossweisse asked, curious rather than demanding. "What has he done to you? …To anyone, actually…" she added, befuddled herself. "Isn't all he does just… roam about? Flying?"

"Revelation states he'll set the world of men on fire during the Apocalypse. Him, along with The Beast," Jeanne declared, firmly believing her purpose was right. "Why wait for the Apocalypse and be the heroes we're meant to be when there are ways to do it now?"

A valid point.

If Great Red was anything but evil. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about The Apocalypse Serpent, but Lucifer kept this to himself. Matters of the End Times were not of his concern.

"Great Red isn't evil!" Rossweisse immediately pointed out the flaw in her belief. "He's…He's just a dragon, y'know? Minding his own business... And you can't take manmade scriptures without a grain of salt! Belief doesn't mean you're not allowed to question certain things!"

"The writers were guided by angels. Defeating him is our fate. It's why we are chosen. I'm not religious but I do know angels can't lie. "

"Doesn't mean they know the whole truth," the valkyrie countered. "...And besides, if it's 'Evil' you want to slay, shouldn't you start with Trihexa?"

"We don't know where The Beast rest or how to summon him—"

"Oh you won't have to worry about that," Lucifer chimed in. "It'll come without invitation. It already made a reservation, actually."

Jeanne panned towards him, still believing he was a rogue god who happened to be strolling by this Old Kyoto. "Reservation?"

"Yes. It had booked a date. God then postponed it. Rudely, might I add…"

Rossweisse felt queasy from his monotonous delivery, but she had to ask as this particular question had been niggling her mind. "What about the promise he made to Noah? 'Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth'. Was that a lie?"

"Of course not," Lucifer flippantly denied. "Water and fire are two completely separate elements."

She went white. Struck with realization like a slap to everything she thought she knew.

"What? Don't look so shocked," Lucifer chuckled. "There was a time when I was mentored by the Old Man. Taught me all sorts of things, among them the importance of flourishing a deal that is essentially rubbish. Except I don't concern myself with the opinion of lesser beings and I don't flaunt it."

Jeanne asked without thinking. "Flaunt?"

"Why yes. Heard of the Ten Plagues of Egypt? I wouldn't argue that the Egyptians didn't deserve it…their rulers, at the very least. But wanting to be dreaded for killing children is a bit much."

Rossweisse couldn't tell which one's worse. Learning this fact or Lucifer practically admitting he was tutored by the Biblical God, which meant billions of people had wrongly believed their god was incapable of evil.

"Now get back on it," Lucifer shooed. "I'll add a minute to compensate for my drivel."

"Wh-Who are you?" the girl barked. "Some religious expert of Christianity? A priest?"

"A sermon would kill me with boredom and children irk me. That means no."

"R-Right…" 'A step at a time, Rose,' Göndul's voice echoed clarity into her mind, and Rossweisse sobered up. A soul was at stake. Let's not get carried away and worry about the entire fate of humanity. "Well I…" she sighed. "...You're familiar with the pendant he showed earlier, correct?"

Defiant pale blue eyes met the concerned brilliant blues. "What about it."

She took that as a yes. "Was it tweaked?"

"...How would I know? I'm not an artificer - I'm a fighter as you can see." She dipped her chin to point at her armor, and smirked challengingly. "I can prove it to you. Unbind me, have a fair duel with me. If you win, I'll tell you everything I know about that pendant. If I win, you'll set me free, and send me back to aid my comrades."

Aware she didn't have the authority to accept or even decline, Rossweisse glanced over to the one who held that kind of jurisdiction.

He checked his watch. "There's six minutes left. Do with it as you will."

Rossweisse clenched her fists, a look as hard as iron on her face as she panned back towards the hero. They both knew their time was limited. Jeanne's even more so.

"Fine then," she said, stolid. "Where do we fight? I'm not risking the lives of civilians."

"Here," The Devil declared as the room began to expand, stretching outwards, and more. Its ceiling disappeared and in the next instance, not even a blink, they were no longer standing inside a Japanese room, but on a flat red surface of what appeared to be the flattened surface of a floating rock, suspended in the middle of… nowhere.

Nothing but a vast impenetrable blackness as far as their eyes could see. No skies. No floors. Nothing to determine their location.

Let it be known that The Void was aptly named.

"Go on. Pretend that I'm not here." They couldn't harm him even if they tried anyway.

A bead of sweat glided down Jeanne's temple. No chance of defeating that man on her own, but she could take on his assistant. "Well? Unbind me and we'll have our duel."

Rossweisse unlatched the spells chaining her wrists and ankles, and in that precise moment, Jeanne surged forward with a grin, calling forth a rapier clad in light upon her grip.

Her eyes widened as a blast of pain punched through her stomach, and she gasped in pain as a heel dug into her chest, sending her across the cold ground.

"Looks like it's my win."

"Tsk— You cheeky brat…" Rossweisse stood up with ease, her lavender suit completely obliterated on its midriff, revealing a flat stomach whose wound was rapidly healed by a tiny green magic circle, embalming it with a soft lime green glow. "Thanks for that. I thought of going easy on you, now I know I don't have to… I loathe dirty fighters."

Jeanne was about to say something snarky, something about combat pragmatism and why it was a must, but a thousand magic circles bathed the black void above them, whirring with arcane energy, pulsing with runic magic, and each radiating an angry smolder of differing intensity and color. She shut her mouth, and took a defensive stance instead.

To her credit, she didn't flinch.

In a brief flash of light, her suit transformed into her set of Valkyrie armor. A mithril breastplate over a black leotard covering her chest and midriff, fingerless gauntlets, boots, hip guards, and wing-shaped hair clips resting atop her ears.

So Rossweisse could be angry about something else that wasn't related to romance? Lucifer didn't contain his smile, edging forward to his seat as he let out a silent snigger. She had just above five more minutes, but duels rarely last long. He wondered how Joyeuse could help the Frenchie. A surprise for sure. Nothing groundbreaking —holy swords never interested him— but a surprise.

"Let me show you why Valkyrie is known as Chooser Of The Slain…" Rossweisse snarled, her face thinly veiled by anger mixed with annoyance. "Because we decide when we slay."

Break

The Amphitheater nuzzled within the Silver City had lost its tranquil peace because of one simple fact: Lucifer lived.

Murmurs and babbles resonated throughout the large theater as thousands of white-feathered beings discussed with each other, unable to stow away the sense of dread and trepidation or glance aside the fact that one of their remaining archangels had, for a fact, fallen.

Twelve black wings replaced her once serene white, but her heart remained stalwart. "Please!" Gabriel pleaded, "Listen! He wants nothing to do with us. Those are his exact words! He may be many things and his own words are a weapon in itself, but his Pride forbids him from telling a single lie!"

All heard her lines but those were aimed solely on a single archangel.

Taxiarch of the Heavenly Host. The Archangel of Justice and Mercy. A former Prince and now the King Regent of Heaven.

Her brother.

Michael.

Who sat in the same kind of seat as everyone else in the room, refusing to take God's vacant throne as he had never seen himself as nothing more than a regent.

He was in deep thought, saying nothing. Even when he first arrived in the auditorium and saw her…current state, he said nothing but flew straight to his seat.

Gabriel stifled her lips. The sudden silence screamed at her, yelling at her to say something.

When she was about to give in to the voice's demand, another erupted.

"She's fallen," spoke an angel. "Just like the Adversary himself. How can we be certain she is not under his command?"

Her heart cracked there. To be doubted like this when she had said nothing but the truth. "I am still one of your own! I despise him just as much as you do!"

"We don't despise him out of Wrath," another angel said. Female, this time, and her simple answer caused Gabriel to silence herself, no longer certain of her own identity. "Our anger towards him is not one that consumes us. Amenadiel of the Thrones' demise taught us that lesson. His obsession brought to him his downfall."

"And now Gabrielle's too…" a different angel spoke somberly.

Gabriel stared at the ground, desperate not to cry. Did she not mean anything to them anymore? Wasn't she the Messenger of God? Didn't they love her as she did to them? She had fallen but she could redeem herself still. She had hope and her faith remained true. It was never her intention to fall while Helel made it his ambition to attest God.

"Yet the Adversary lives still," an angel said, fear choking his words. "...How… How is this possible? He was slain during the Eternal Conflict? Instead of the Heavenly Father, it was the rebellious son who came back?"

"And it is His last sanction is to ensure his death," an angel stood amongst the sitting crowd, inspiring calmness from his voice — as he was the Voice of God. Once a seraph now an archangel with twelve golden wings. "The Underworld Empire stands on its own, no longer his. The Grigori is led by Azazel - an advocate for peace. This is not a proposal to relight another Great War. It is the call of continuation to finish our Eternal Conflict against the Adversary. We thought it had ended. We are wrong."

"No…" Gabriel croaked. "Metatron, no— you don't understand, I've seen his Infernal Host with my very eyes! He has created a new Purgatory, and millions of demons under his command… There won't be a battle, only a slaughter."

"You fear demons now, Sister?" The words were spoken with gentleness and without the mockery of an insult, but she felt as though she had been slapped. She stared at her feet, at complete loss for words. "My brothers…sisters… Before us is the dawn of the End Times. There is no telling whether he stands with The Beast, but he will not aid us. That is for certain. If not now, then we may never have another chance to ensure our Father's eternal slumber is not for nothing."

Having to hold the truth wrecked her. Father was alive, and He was suffering. Raising an army against Lucifer would damn Him forever. And yet telling them of this truth would only condemn all of them the same fate. This was her only chance, and it had been drastically slipping away.

Gabriel wondered if she should have kept it to herself. But disobey her role as a Messenger? How could she do that when it was the only thing she might have left?

"Please…" her tears fell this time, soaking her black blindfold as she crumpled to her knees. Her crows wings laid sullenly across the smooth sandy ground. "You mustn't…There is no glory in this."

"It is never about glory, it is about doing His will. But I will not make the decision for us all." Metatron shifted to face Michael several seats away from him. "Brother Michael, I call for a vote to be held. Let those who raise their hand support me."

Michael gave a silent nod. His expression was grim. Haunted.

As hands were raised on all sides, Gabriel broke down. A quiet 'no' escaped her trembling lips. The only chance she had perished along with her fallen tears.

The Amphitheater quieted down, and another hearing commenced.

"And now… what of her?"

The angels gingerly glanced at each other, but eventually all eyes fell on their Regent.

A smile graced his lips. A sad and weary smile, but it was the best he could pull off as Michael spoke, "...Banishing Helel was difficult, but it must be done. He has chosen a path and rebelled against our Father's decree…" He paused to steel himself. He loved Helel. Just as much as he loved Gabriel. Helel made him laugh while Gabriel made him feel at ease.

Two siblings he loved the most. Witnessing and having to cut away Helel's wings was torture. To punish Gabriel felt like binding himself to purgatory.

"And it is by His justice that the Fallens no longer have a place in Heaven, and it is His mercy that they are allowed to live." Michael took a deep breath. Took one long look at his beloved little sister. Burning her tears inside his memories. And delivered his judgment. "Gabriel, for falling to sin, you are hereby stripped from your seraphic titles. You are unwelcome in the sanctified place of our Heavenly Father. From this moment forth…"

'And with a heavy heart.'

"You are exiled."

To be continued…

Fs in the chat for Gabster. Poor gal. It's almost as if Lucifer planned for this outcome by revealing her the truth, so she can taste what it feels like to be thrown away. Or did he?

Where will she go now? Azazel? Lucifer? Maybe even Raynare? The choices are plenty, and I'm all eager to write the next chap — so make sure you hit that follow button. Abuse it like you're Chris Brown and that button was singing Umbrella

What? You expected an epic fight between Lucifer and some deluded dude that named himself Cao Cao? A human?
Pffff YEA RIGHT. NOT IN A MILLION ZILLION YEARS

No. he'll let a giant red lizard do that. For free

Have Rossweisse vs Jeanne instead. YOu goddamn know i hate writing fight scenes, but goddammit i will fokin try to deliver

Also, just letting you know that I am a christian and I don't hate religions or God. I'm just extremely livid that the past heinous acts are just swept under the rug and stomped flat

Aight on that disclaimer. Gbye

SLAVA UKRAINI