Archive of Our Own ^beta

Your first memory was the moment of your birth.

Not everyone remembered, but you did, clear as day. You remembered the first time you gained consciousness, the first time your body stirred, the first time blood began to flow in your veins. You remembered the first words you ever heard, said in a beautiful yet somber voice, from the beautiful lips of a beautiful man.

“This one should suffice,” he hummed, both his gaze and his voice distant and apathetic. The only thing he spared you was a split-second glance of assessment before he turned his attention back to the thin, white tablet-like object he held in his hand. He paused, furrowed his brows, and turned to the side, seemingly in deep thought. The entire time, you followed him with your gaze, curious and fascinated with even the most minute of movements. There was something about him, something you couldn’t quite put into words, that you were drawn to; he would later make some remark about you being like a chick imprinting on its mother, a comment that would only make you laugh in its accuracy.

It took a moment before he noticed you were staring, as dismissive of you as he was. He turned, looking up from the tablet to meet your gaze with his, a cold blue akin to ice.

“Ah. I suppose I should give you your name and your role, now that you have awakened,” he droned. He took another glance at the tablet before approaching you, an odd feeling overcoming you as he bridged the distance. Nervousness? Anxiety? Excitement? You had been made with enough intelligence to know the words, to have a vague inkling of the feeling, yet you couldn’t pinpoint what made the heart in your chest race at his proximity. Up close like this, you could see and observe him much better - the pale, white skin, the ashen hair, the utter perfection of his very being.

If gods truly existed, you figured this is what one must look like.

You even figured he must be a god himself.

“Your name is Belial.” He spoke matter-of-factly, not paying any heed to your own personal fascination. “You are the archangel designated to preside over cunning. You will also serve as the adjutant to Lucifer, the supreme primarch who governs evolution, meaning you will have authority over the other archangels as well.” He did not pause to see if you were listening or even remotely paying attention, did not stop to ask if you understood. You already figured this was expected of you, and you had been hanging on to every word coming from those perfect lips the moment he began to speak anyway.

“Belial…” you repeated, testing how your own name sounded on your own tongue. It definitely felt like it fit , which you figured was how names should be. You nodded your head, accepting it.

“Okay,” you said, your tone light and casual as you looked at him with a smile. “And you are…? I don't believe you've formally introduced yourself, mister.”

There was the slightest smirk on his face as he looked at you, and you wondered if it was amusement in those cold, assessing blue eyes of his. Perhaps he was admiring his own creation - that was certainly what you hoped it was. The thought alone sent a shiver running down in your spine, but not in a bad way.

“Lucilius,” he replied. “My name is Lucilius.”

Settling into your role came easily to you, but that shouldn't have been a surprise when you were created for a purpose. As the Supreme Primarch's adjutant, you helped preside over evolution alongside Lucifer, with the lower archangels turning to both of you for leadership. You took command whenever Lucifer was away, and you were respected not just because of your position of authority, but because you showed that you deserved it. The Primarch of Fire, an angel named Michael, seemed to look up to you in particular, always bright and eager in your presence that you couldn't help but find it rather adorable.

And yet, your eyes were set on only one.

“Belial.”

“Mm? Is something the matter, Cilius?” You turned at once at the sound of his voice, a wide, welcoming smile on your face as you watched him approach. The expression he wore was one of irritation, yet even then, he looked rather beautiful; there was something fascinating about the way his brows furrowed together, the way his nose scrunched up a little with something akin to utter disbelief, the way those perfect lips of his frowned in displeasure. “You look rather cross today. That look’s not good on you, you know? You might get some wrinkles… Can Astrals get wrinkles?”

A fierce glare was quickly sent your way in response, and you tried not to show how that made your body tingle with delight. “Did I not ask you to retrieve some records from the archive for me? Had I known you would be so inefficient in carrying out such a simple task, I would have asked a more suitable archangel to do it.”

Oops. That's right, he had asked you to run that errand an hour ago. You bowed your head in sincere apology. “Apologies, Cilius. I passed by the lab on my way to the archive and admittedly got distracted. This new generation of archangels looks rather promising.”

“Oh, those things?” Things . But of course, primal beasts were nothing more than tools for the Astrals - least of all to Lucilius, their very creator. “These will take quite a bit of time to finish. The High Council ordered the implementation of limiters, so I’ve been trying to perfect them.”

“Limiters?”

“Indeed. These creatures cannot be allowed to fully exercise free will; for example, beasts only meant to repel enemies such as those from the Otherworld will have limited intelligence. They have no need for it after all, do they not? They only need to slaughter and get the job done.” As always, Lucilius spoke matter-of-factly, and all you could really do was hang on to every word, as always. Just hearing him speak was a source of pleasure to you, and every word he spoke was gospel. “If they ever become smart enough to, say, start questioning their purpose and rebelling, it would be a problem for the Astrals, wouldn't it?”

You understood one could consider this rather cruel, but to you, such cruelty made nothing but perfect sense. Primal beasts were tools, created by the Astrals as a means of regulation; they had a purpose to fulfill, and if they failed in it, they would be disposed of immediately. Just like that.

In the scheme of things, they were nothing but tiny little specks of dust. Their worth was just as much as the dirt on Lucilius’ feet.

“It would certainly be a problem,” you agreed with a nod. The smile on your face widened as you looked at him with appreciation. “You truly are a genius, Cilius. The Astrals owe much to all your work.”

He raised a brow at your words, silent as he assessed the intention behind your compliment. The decision was the High Council's, after all, and he was only carrying out their command. In the end, he simply sighed and shook his head, and muttered what sounded like “idiot” under his breath.

“I have to consult with Lucifer on some of the designs,” he said now, smoothing out his robes before he started to walk past you. “The records better be in my quarters when I return, Belial. And categorized like I told you to.”

“Okay, okay. No need to be so cross, Cilius,” you chuckled, waving as you watched him go. “Say hi to the supreme primarch for me.”

You expected no response at all, but to your surprise, he waved a hand in dismissal. The simple action was still so much like him that you couldn't help but laugh to yourself before you finally, obediently, headed to the archive.

As much as you adored an angry Lucilius, after all, you still liked it best when he praised you for a job well done.

Since you first met him, you had noticed the lingering sense of restlessness within Lucilius, one you couldn’t quite figure out despite the perceptiveness he had created you with. You could always feel it stirring within him, whether he was in the lab creating a variety of beasts for the Astrals, or in the privacy of his quarters reading and studying another pile of records, or even in the garden simply strolling around and observing the other angels. You could see it in the way his gaze always seemed to be directed elsewhere as if trying to see something he couldn't, in the way his hand would sometimes twitch by his side as if itching to do something, in the way he would mutter unintelligibly under his breath as if he was trying to understand something.

Of course, you were always curious about what he could possibly be thinking, but it was impossible to read Lucilius’ mind. He was so closed off, a hard shell no one could possibly crack, and you were no exception. Yes, you were always by his side, but even you weren't allowed the luxury of knowing what went on in the head of the famed genius among Astrals.

Or so you thought.

It was on a seemingly ordinary night in the lab, just as you were cleaning up to retire for the day. Lucifer had left much earlier, looking to be in a hurry to return to the shaded garden with that pet of his, so it was only Lucilius and you and no one else - well, no one except for the beasts that lay asleep in their pods, but it wasn't like they were conscious and aware of their surroundings.

“Belial,” Lucilius had called out to you in that drawling voice of his. Though he seemed to sound the same as he always did, you couldn't help but feel that he was about to say something important, so you set down the tablet you were reading and turned towards his direction, giving him your full attention.

“What is it, Cilius?”

“Do you know of Etemenanki?”

...Huh . Well, that was certainly unexpected. You blinked in confusion, trying to scour your mind for any information. “It sounds familiar,” you said, trying to remember. “Isn't that the tower mentioned in the creation myths?”

It was very vague, but Lucilius seemed relieved that you weren't entirely ignorant on what he was going to talk about. He nodded his head in confirmation before speaking. “The divine tower Etemenanki...a structure floating in the heavens above us all. It is rarely ever seen, but supposedly bears a resemblance to the Etemenanki mentioned in the creation myths. As it dates back to the time of creation, one can assume its purpose is somehow related to the Omnipotent.”

The Omnipotent… The Creator. You had to admit you didn't really know much about The Great One; you were an archangel, after all, and Lucilius was your creator, your god. It didn't help that you had never really seen the Omnipotent to believe nor to even remotely care.

You wondered, then, why Lucilius had brought this up. You looked at him expectantly, and he returned your gaze with a mocking smile.

“You don’t seem very interested,” he remarked, amusement in his tone. You shrugged your shoulders casually.

“I suppose you could call me a non-believer,” you said, returning his smile with your own. This time, he responded with bitter laughter. “What about Etemenanki, Cilius? I didn't take you for the type to be interested in such things.”

“It just came to me in a dream.” Lucilius leaned forward in his seat, hands under his chin as he wore a thoughtful expression on his face. “You say you're a non-believer, Belial, and so am I. And yet, why do skydwellers revere him so? He is an absent god, and there is nothing known of him other than that he made the world. He is nothing more than a painted backdrop we glimpse when we envision the drama of creation. And yet… All of us, Astrals and primal beasts and skydwellers alike, we are being made to live in a world that is but a copy of another, used as nothing more than tools of homeostasis… Don’t you find that miserable?”

If you had to be very honest, you had really not thought of such a thing before. The creation myth had always been more of a fairy tale for you, a fantasy tale made up for anyone who wanted to have a story to tell on how the world was made. It was something that had never really mattered.

But now…

“That farce… I want to destroy it completely.”

…it was the only thing that mattered in the entire world.

You did not question him. You did not laugh, you did not say that to destroy an entire world would be both ambitious and foolish, you did not say that he was asking for the impossible. Neither did you balk at the idea, cowering in fear over what he could possibly be saying. You did not get up and say he was crazy, did not stand up and leave the room like a coward.

Instead, you met his gaze with yours - eager, steadfast, determined.

“Well, what do you have in mind, Cilius?”

The smile on his face was wicked, and you loved it.

It came as no surprise that Lucilius already had everything planned out, right from the prologue up until his so-called “grand finale”. You supposed this was something he had been thinking about for the longest time, and the itch to carry out this plan to completion might be what caused his constant restlessness. But this amount of preparation only made his determination so much more apparent, so much more alluring , that you devoted yourself to him and his plan without question.

The expansion of the research lab was only the first of many steps in Lucilius’ grand scheme, and it was a great privilege for you to be promoted to deputy head researcher. To be fair, no one else could have been given such a position, but it felt like concrete validation - you were the only archangel in on this plan, the only one with Lucilius’ trust . And so you held onto that position with utmost pride, wearing your new title like a badge of honor.

It was funny, when you thought about it, how the archangels involved in the project were called ‘fallen angels’ to separate them from the rest. Any other term could have worked, something much less obvious, and yet Lucilius had opted for a name that summed up their roles perfectly.

Angels who were only going to be used to amass cores for Avatar. Angels who would fall into the very depths of the skies once the rebellion failed, as planned . It was so obvious it made you want to laugh with mirth, more so when you saw how eager some of them were once you started to plant the seeds of rebellion within them.

Like that fool, Olivia. Lovely and powerful as she was, you thought her somewhat dense, agreeing to participate the moment you uttered the words “for Lucilius’ sake”. There was a fire that burned in her eyes with eagerness as she pledged herself to the cause, so bright you couldn't help the brief sting of bitterness that bothered you like an itch.

It wasn't as though the rebellion would succeed. It wasn't as though any of the angels, not excluding Olivia, would be there by Lucilius’ side when he destroyed everything.

And yet you could not help but wonder - was this how foolish you looked to Lucilius’ eyes as well? That naivety, that obedience, that devotion… Did he also think of you as nothing more than a tool in his grand plan?

Not that it mattered. All primal beasts were tools, with sentience only being an inconvenient by-product of your creation. If all you were to Lucilius was something to be used, then-

“Adjutant- Ah, excuse me, Deputy Head Researcher. Apologies, it appears my memory gets fuzzy every now and then…”

You looked up from the papers you were reading, a curious expression appearing on your face before you managed to conjure a kind smile. “Ah, Sarry. I didn't see you there. How are you doing? Finished with your job?”

“Yes, I… I simply came to give my report.” The former Executioner stood before you awkwardly, looking as though he didn't belong in his body as usual. Still, you thought, he looked to be in a much better condition than he used to be; when he had once looked to be constantly disintegrating, never fully regenerating before his next mission, he now seemed more... whole . He was no longer as pale as he used to be, either. Perhaps, over time, he could sit more comfortably in his own skin and become used to living normally as a regular angel-

Ah. You bit back the bitter taste in your mouth, brushing the thoughts away. There was no use hoping for a bright future for someone who had none.

“D… Deputy Head?”

“Oh, my apologies, Sarry. Spaced out a bit for a moment there.” Once again, you gave him your best smile. “Alright, I'm all ears.”

The look of relief on Sariel's face, the little smile and the bright flicker in his eyes… That just made the feeling so much worse.

You continued to smile as you listened to him do his best to tell you all about how preparations for the rebellion were going smoothly, and yet at the back of your mind, you could not help but visualize it in your mind - Sariel, gone, as though he had never existed. You would never say it out loud, but the dark angel brought out feelings of fondness within you. If there was anything you could do, anything at all…

“T-that's all, Deputy Head,” he finished now, bringing you out of your little reverie. “Is there more I should do…?”

“No no, this will do for now, Sarry. Thank you for your efforts.” You began to stand up, thinking about how you should inform Lucilius right away, but paused as you noticed Sariel watching you silently, the expression on his face akin to one of hopefulness. If you had to compare it to something, perhaps you would say he looked like a puppy waiting for a treat after performing a new trick.

Mayhaps Lucilius could wait. There was no rush, after all.

“Hey, Sarry, anywhere you want to go today?” you offered. Had he truly been a dog, you could have sworn his ears would have perked up and his tail would have started wagging. “As a reward for a job well done. I'll take you anywhere you like.”

“Y-yes, please, if you don't mind, Deputy Head! There's a place that I-”

His eyes were practically shining, and you chuckled softly as you let him lead you away.

No one would fault you for a bit of enjoyment; you might as well take advantage of it before the world crumbled.

For the rebellion to fail was part of the plan. For Lucilius to die was not.

You felt it resonate within you when Lucifer ended him, a sudden pain that rocked your entire body and made you lose your breath. This wasn't supposed to happen, this wasn't part of the plan - but you knew that this couldn't be the end of it, either. The plan wasn't going to stop because Lucilius was dead. As his right hand, you had to do something.

Escaping wasn't easy; Michael came at you with a rage as fiery as the flames that she presided over, and you had to admit it took quite some effort on your part to get away with your life intact. Orchestrating a rebellion that threatened to topple the world's balance and cause destruction was just half of it - she had looked up to you, admired you, and you had used her, deceived her, broken her trust. You would never forget the look of anger and betrayal on her face as she came at you with all her might, her usually steady hands shaking with emotion.

You weren't lying when you said you felt guilty about what you had done. Michael was a good woman, strong and capable and compassionate; had you been on the same side, things between you two may have turned out differently.

But you weren't, and for both of you to clash was inevitable. What a shame it truly was.

You were scorched and beaten when you finally got away, barely having the power to regenerate, but you had other priorities. The testing facility where Lucifer had taken out Lucilius was the only one left standing, and you knew that was where you had to be. Far away as it was, you could still feel him there. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late.

It was inside where you found him - or what remained of him at least. Your cry of “Cilius!” went unheard as you clasped what was left of him to your chest, with no one present to see your usual composure crumbling at the seams.

“Cilius… Cilius…”

He was just so still . It's not like he was ever animated, being the very image of perfection and elegance, but like this he was so… There was really no word for it other than lifeless . His skin was slowly losing warmth, but he did not move; part of you waited for his eyelids to flutter open and his perfect lips to part in a soft sigh like he did when he awoke from his naps, a private, intimate view of him he indulged you with, but he moved not once as you held him.

“Cilius…”

No, it wasn't too late. There was still something you could do, for sure. Slowly you stood up once more, not minding the pain that continued to rack your body. As his right hand, your job was to carry out the rest of the plan, no matter what happened. You knew he would never forgive you if you let all of his efforts go to waste; besides, not once had you considered abandoning it, anyway.

You weren't created as the archangel of cunning for nothing. Not only did you possess great knowledge, but Lucilius had shared much of his own with you; not to mention that with this place being a research facility, you had some resources at hand.

Lucifer had been foolish to not kill Lucilius completely. Did he not have the power to kill an Astral, or was he unable to do it to his own Creator?

“Wait for me, Cilius,” you murmured softly, stroking his soft, ashen hair with your fingers. Silky , you thought; you had never been able to touch it like this before. “I'll bring you back, no matter what it takes, and we can watch the world burn together.”

Slowly, gently, you pressed your lips to his forehead, your voice soft and your promises for him alone. “Wait for me, my messiah.”

Two thousand years was a long time to wait.

It was an even longer time to wait alone, having to hide your continued existence from the other archangels, most especially the primarchs. The strain was incredible, but it was one you were willing to endure for Lucilius’ sake. You knew the time would come when the curtains would rise for you once again.

And indeed, as good things come to those who wait, everything began to fall into place.

The chance meeting of the crimson dragon and the girl of blue in Zinkenstill. The seal of Pandemonium being broken, and Lucifer's vengeful pet Sandalphon being set free. The cataclysms that shook the skies, and Lucifer's manifestation to put an end to the destruction. The singularity . The death of Lucifer in the hands of the very Astral he had executed for aiding Lucilius.

It felt like luck was on your side. It was time for Lucilius’ legacy to take the stage.

Avatar was everything you expected him to be, a massive creature meant for nothing else but sheer, utter destruction. You buzzed from the adrenaline rush in your veins feeling its pure, raw power, so strong that you could taste it. Your body trembled, your eyes shone in awe watching the large black beast tear apart everything within its sight. It truly was pure destruction made flesh.

You wondered how Lucilius would react, seeing his legacy destroying the skies like this just as he had dreamed. Would he mirror the expression of glee on your face seeing his plan come to fruition? Or would he wear the same expression he always did, passive, uncaring, as though nothing in the world mattered?

If only he was there to see it.

If only…

“Would you like to explain the presence of the singularity?” Beelzebub’s voice cut your train of thought. The hooded figure had an irritated expression on his face, and you silently mused at how he hadn’t changed after the millenia he spent in the Crimson Horizon. Still the same, old pissy Bubs who acted like he was in charge. Infuriating , you thought to yourself. “I believe I told you to snip every possible sprout that might blossom into a threat.”

“Yeah… My bad,” you replied with a smile, barely even sounding truly apologetic. “I've been hiding my light under a bushel to keep the four primarchs off my tail, and it's just so hard to work like that.” At least that wasn’t a lie; the effort you had spent hiding your presence for such a long time had taken up so much for your power, all you could really do was stay by Lucilius’ side and watch over him as the world moved on around you.

“I suppose the supreme primarch was better prepared for this than we thought,” you continued. It wasn’t unknown to you that Lucifer’s little pet Sandalphon was created for the sole intention of being Lucifer’s backup, but you hadn’t thought Lucifer would actually manage to pass on his powers before his death. Especially not after what Sandalphon did, causing the cataclysms that caused so much destruction across the skies; it was probably your fault that you hadn’t factored in Lucifer’s kindness, hadn’t considered that he would forgive Sandalphon and still entrust the skies to him. He wasn’t perfect after all, you mused now, thinking about what Beelzebub had told you - how Lucifer could have fought back, could not have died just like that , had he not been protecting the cradle that held Sandalphon.

You wondered if Lucilius would have called it a flaw in his design. Then again, even Lucilius thought of Lucifer as his perfect creation, revering him above all, the only being able to stand as his equal; he probably wouldn’t have admitted it.

“But the longer the chase, the more excited you get for the main event, don't you think?” You smiled, but Beelzebub only continued to frown in displeasure. “We're nearly there, Bubs. Shall we raise a glass, like skydwellers do?"

He didn’t have the time to give you a proper response as a sword burst through his side. Your eyes widened in shock, your face reflected on the blade’s bloody tip.

“What...in the…”

It was Sandalphon himself, Lucifer’s lovely little pet , the anger on his face so much more intense the last time you saw him throwing his little childish tantrum in the skies. It felt like it was only yesterday when he had been but a docile little thing at the lab, following Lucifer around with a bright look in his eyes, a brightness that had now been dimmed with raw anguish and vengeance.

He charged at you next in a flash, and you barely managed to avoid him.  “The avenging angel look is really fetching on you, Sandy,” you teased, trying to regain your composure. “You’re getting me all hot and bothered… But your stamina's failing you, isn't it? Those brand new powers are riding you hard.”

“I can still finish you off before I'm done.” His voice was strong, determined, firm . He could truly end you if you weren’t careful, but you didn’t endure for two thousand years just to lose here.

“Oh, I hope you will. I think you'll train up nicely once you're all tired out and feeling more pliable.” You let your own power surge through you, your lips curling into a smirk. “And we should probably take it slow, hm? Your first time ought to be perfect... As supreme primarch, I mean.”

Luck was in your favour again, it seemed. Avatar had interrupted your duel with Sandalphon at the exact moment, giving you the perfect opportunity for your escape; had the beast not sent that dark, powerful blast your direction, you would probably have lost. You hadn’t fully regained your powers yet, and for now, you had to survive. You still had other things to take care of.

Such as the matter of Lucifer’s body, and Lucilius’ revival.

Beelzebub had left the difficult work to you as always, but in truth, you didn’t really mind, and all you had really told him was that you needed Lucifer’s body to restore Lucilius to the best condition possible. Things were much better this way, and there was no way you were going to let him handle the ritual himself. Regardless of him being your accomplice, you didn’t trust him one bit.

I’ll take care of him another time, you thought to yourself. For now…

Gently, you picked up Lucilius’ head from where you had preserved it, brushing the stray strands of hair away from his beautiful sleeping face. Slowly, softly, you allowed your thumbs to brush gently against those lovely lips of his. You had gone two thousand years without hearing his voice, but soon… soon enough, you would be able to hear him again. The anticipation sent a shiver down your spine, but you tried your best to control yourself. No, no, you couldn’t get too excited, not yet; there was still much work to do, and you couldn’t slip up beforehand.

“Can you feel it, Cilius? We’re getting closer and closer to achieving your dream,” you murmured softly, your fingers tracing the outlines of his face. Lucilius had never been a man of many expressions, but you couldn’t wait to see some life in that perfect face of his once again. The way his brows pressed together when he was deep in thought, the way his eyes glinted with curiosity and eagerness when he came upon an interesting find. The frown of displeasure he made when he didn’t get the results he wanted, the slight upturn of his lips he allowed himself whenever you made a comment that earned his amusement. You missed it, all of it.

You missed him , so much you couldn’t bear it.

“Just a bit more, Cilius. I’ll bring you back, like I promised.” Revival was not going to be easy, but you were going to get it done. And then you were heading straight to Etemenanki to put an end to it all.

And then…

You should have expected Lucilius wouldn’t wake up right away despite how well you thought you had stitched him back together. Beelzebub had pointed out there was no precedent for the revival of the Astrals, and yet, you couldn’t help but feel like it was somewhat a failure on your part. Did you perhaps forget something important? The thought continued to eat at you even as you tried to distract yourself with your little board game, eyes darting at Lucilius’ casket every now and then.

“Looking at him over and over isn’t going to wake him up any faster,” Beelzebub muttered under his breath, seemingly distracted by your own lack of focus. You wanted to roll your eyes, but you bit back an I’m not stupid, Bubs, I know that perfectly well retort and responded with a smile instead.

“Oh, I was just admiring my own handiwork,” you said, looking at the board for a moment before moving one of your own pieces. “My stitching is rather impeccable, if I do say so myself.”

“Unless you’re somewhat blind, there’s a rather ugly scar where you stitched Lucilius’ neck onto Lucifer’s body,” Beelzebub shot back matter-of-factly. There was just no catching a break with him, was there? “I wouldn’t call it impeccable if that wasn’t so glaring. Perhaps if you had actually covered it up…”

“Ugly?” You could only laugh in response. “Oh, Bubs, you’re getting it all wrong - it’s the scar that makes it so perfect . Don’t you see? It’s very fitting for Cilius.” After all, his imperfection was what made Lucilius so charming, what made him Lucilius . Did Bubs not know him at all?

“...I don’t think I’ll ever understand you.” Beelzebub sighed and waved a hand in frustrated irritation, turning his attention back to the game. You only chuckled and followed suit, not minding it one bit.

It didn’t matter if Beelzebub didn’t get it. You were the only one who understood Lucilius, who saw him for everything he was, who would be loyal to him even after everything ceased to exist.

“Checkmate,” you hummed as you won yet another game, earning an angry growl from Beelzebub that made you laugh. “Whoa there, Bubs, calm down. Another game? We still have the time.”

“Another. I won’t make a mistake this time.”

We’ll see about that , you thought to yourself as you rearranged the pieces on your side. You were determined to defeat him again and again, no matter how many times it took. After all, at the very end, no one was going to stand by Lucilius’ side but you. You were going to make sure of that.

More games, more banter, all of it meant to pass the time. Lucilius continued to sleep peacefully in his casket, showing no signs of awakening anytime soon, while the ruins around you crumbled against a glowering red sky. The closer you were to finishing your game, the closer the time of fruition came. You could feel it in the air - the singularity, the girl of blue, the crimson dragon, Sandalphon, and all their friends, getting closer to reaching Pandemonium.

You hummed softly as you looked up at the sky, feeling the disturbance approaching. It was probably the Grandcypher trying to make its way through. “Sounds like we just got rammed by something pretty big.”

“The singularity and Lucifer’s heir, I presume.” Beelzebub frowned and got up from his seat; you followed him with your gaze, his attempt at hiding his restlessness not missing your sight. “The boundary will shortly fall. We can leave them to their own devices and chaos will swallow them along with everything else. But…”

“Hang on a second,” you called out, gesturing towards the board. “We haven’t finished our game.”

“The fork in fate's path in a time of upheaval... I didn't think its influence would reach this far,” he continued, not paying you any mind. “I will destroy them myself. You take to the front lines.”

“Wait.”

This time he paused. You weren’t sure if he had a heart, but if he did, you could’ve sworn it stopped in his chest for the briefest of moments.

You sighed as you stood up, your board game now forgotten. “Kept your secret all the way to the end, didn't you?” you said, lips curling into a wicked smile as you watched him. “Too bad. It's a real shame, Bubs. You were just waiting for an opening to climb the divine tower alone, weren't you?”

The air between you turned leaden, but you stood your ground, not letting him out of your line of vision. You had known all along that Beelzebub wasn’t someone you could trust, especially not when he had his own goals from the very beginning. It didn’t take much to put two and two together, to figure out that Beelzebub wanted to save his own hide by hiding in Etemenanki. He didn’t want the total destruction of the world, only to rule it, to hold it in the palm of his hand.

Pathetic. Lucilius had far more ambition than this man, if you could even call him one.

“It really is a shame though, Bubs. Even knowing about Etemenanki, the one obstacle to our plan, you kept silent.” You could feel his temper boiling from where you stood, but you continued to smile, unfazed. “I guess you planned to stab us in the back somewhere along the way, so you could achieve your own selfish ends?” You waited for a response, but only got silence in return. “Hm? Need a minute to think up an excuse?”

And then he started to laugh.

You blinked, watching him curiously. “So we were both using each other,” he said now, his mouth set in a rather horrifying grin under that dark hood of his. “To think I let you string me along this far using Etemenanki as bait.”

You shrugged. “Cilius gets all the credit. I was really just along for the ride.”

“Rubbish. Is destroying the so-called Omnipotent really all you want?” He scoffed, as if the idea was any more far-fetched than his was. “But I'll gladly use your idiotic plan. When it's done, I will reign supreme... All power will revert to me. All worlds will rest in the palm of my hand.”

“You really are twisted,” you murmured, sighing. “Well, who am I to judge your dreams? But our goal is the complete annihilation of the world. Survivors will not be tolerated.”

He spat at the ground at that. “In the end you're just another drone. But you were useful, for a beast.”

A beast. Your smile this time was mocking. He sure was a hypocrite, wasn’t he? “And here I thought we could be friends.”

“Die.”

At the very least, he wasn’t all talk. He charged at you with so much power it took all of your effort and concentration to stay upright and to fight back. You weren’t foolish enough to underestimate him - after all, this was an Astral who remodeled his own body and tampered with the powers of void and chaos to gain the power of a beast, and yet you were at a state where you couldn’t really match up to him. But you weren’t going to show him your weakness, either. You were going to fight, while you still had power in you.

Lucilius was going to wake up soon. You had to hold out until then.

Until then…

“That last round was a thrill and a half. You nearly finished me off.” You stood upright, taking advantage of a brief pause in battle to focus as much as you could. “But here I am letting you do all the work. You should get to spend some time on your back. I want to see you... all worn out and satisfied!”

Six large, black wings sprouted from your back, and Beelzebub steeled himself as you sent the most powerful blast you could muster his way. It came as no surprise that he came out unscathed, looking unimpressed. “You bore me,” he growled, clenching his fists at his side. “In the end you're the same caliber as Lucifer. Six wings aren't enough to hold my interest… At least put on a show, jester!”

It was taking all your effort to keep yourself upright, but you couldn’t lose here. Not yet. It was far too early. You would endure his hits and fire back with your own as long as you were able.

Beelzebub gritted his teeth, wanting to get it over with. “Don’t waste your ti-”

“Anagenesis!”

You fired at him with all your might, ignoring how your body cried out at the pain. Just a bit more , you thought. Surely that would’ve caused a dent this time.

“Checkmate.” You allowed yourself a smile as the smoke began to clear. “Come on, Bubs, I wanna see you finish!”

“... Hahhh…”

... Huh?

Wait, was that -

As quickly as you could, you steeled yourself from the blow as a figure clothed entirely in black charged your way. No… There was no way you could mistake that form for anybody else.

Sariel…

“Chaos matter…” you muttered under your breath. Everything was falling into place now. “When did you manage to summon him and switch places?”

“Heh heh heh. Surprised? Sleight of hand is supposed to be your domain.” You could see Beelzebub’s mocking smile peeking from below his hood, looking positively mirthful at having the upper hand. “How would you like to die? Run through by my spear, or reaped by your comrade's sickle?”

“Comrade…” The sound of Sariel’s voice caught your attention, and you turned to get a better look at him. He seemed...different, but that was no surprise. Like the other beasts Beelzebub had summoned, he had surely been tainted by boundless lust for destruction much like Avatar had been, much unlike the Sariel you had recruited into the fallen angels.

The Sariel you had given a second chance.

Perhaps there was something you could do. He was alive , and he was right before you. To just give up on him after everything would be-

“What are you standing around for, Sarry?” you called out, allowing yourself a gentle smile. Maybe, just maybe, he would recognize your voice. He had always taken to you, after all, much like a little chick to its mother hen. “Cilius is in that casket, you know. Aren't you going to welcome your boss home?”

He was silent, unresponsive. Beelzebub chuckled. “Useless beast. Your serpent's tongue won't save you now.”

But you ignored him, continuing to address Sariel only. “Do you remember... when you compared yourself to a soldier ant? But we beasts are sentient. Are you here by your own will?” From where you stood, you saw him pause, as though taking in your words. As though he was listening . “Break the chains of this false lord you never agreed to serve,” you continued, speaking softly yet clearly enough for him to hear, “and let's go see how that anthill of yours is doing.”

Surely that triggered something in him, as Sariel began to shake. He put one hand to his head, closing his eyes.

“Open your eyes,” you said, raising your voice this time. “You and I serve only Cilius!”

“Waaahh!”

“Sarry!”

He was trembling uncontrollably, so much so that it reminded you of the times he came back from battle with barely any of his body left intact. You had allowed yourself to hold him, back then, allowed yourself to feel him shake like a leaf in your hands before he slowly began to regenerate; but this time was different, and you couldn’t risk the contact. You waited, patiently, as his shaking began to calm down, and the light in the blue eyes behind his mask began to regain their light.

“Ahh… Depu...ty?”

Relief washed over you at the familiar sound of his voice - soft, innocent, much like a child’s. “Welcome home, Sarry,” you said softly. Had this been the old days, you would have allowed yourself to reach out and give him a gentle pat on the head, but now was not the time. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Home? But what... is this place? What am I…” He still looked lost, looking around him in utmost confusion. “I can't remember... Is the head researcher in his quarters? I should make my report and ask him to repair my memory—”

And then there was nothing but black and red, for a moment. You couldn’t even register the pain as Beelzebub’s spear ran through Sariel and into you, only feeling a vague sense of resignation. You shouldn’t have let your guard down.

“You knew this would happen, didn't you?” you murmured, sighing. “He was a sacrificial pawn…”

Beelzebub simply smiled. “Checkmate.”

Your vision was turning blurry, and the pain finally hit your body with a gasp as you coughed out blood. Not yet, you told yourself even as your body threatened to shut down. Not yet. It can’t end here. Lucilius had not yet woken up from his slumber, Sariel was still impaled along with you, and-

And then.

You felt it, for the first time in two thousand years - a power that transcended existence. The power of your god slowly filling the air as he awakened at last. And foolish little Bubs had let his guard down, this time.

“Heh… Hehehe…” Your mouth spread into a wide grin, the laughter bubbling from your lips easily at the confused look on Beelzebub’s face. “Too bad... Taking me doesn't end the game. The king is still in play, Bubs!”

And there he was.

He was majestic as always, the very image of a god, impaling Beelzebub effortlessly with a bored expression on his face. The sheer power he radiated, filling the air around you, was enough to make you release on the spot, but you still held on to what composure you had left. Beelzebub cried out at the pain, blood spilling from his mouth while Lucilius paused to look down at himself.

“Hunh... Gave me Lucifer's body, did you?” he murmured. Ah, that voice, that beautiful voice. It’s been so long, Cilius. He gave himself a moment to assess the body he had been given, as if checking to see if it was as perfect as he had created it.

“You bastard!” Beelzebub spat. “Of all the times for you to revive…”

“I was already revived. I was simply caught between consciousness and unconsciousness.” Lucilius looked at him without batting an eye, as though he was nothing more than a worthless bug to be disposed of. “You're about to experience it firsthand. You won't bounce back from this wound.”

“Gyah!”

Just like that, Lucilius withdrew his sword, letting Beelzebub fall to the ground like dirt. Lucilius spared him only a glance before he turned his gaze to you, those piercing blue eyes as cold as you remembered.

“Morning, Cilius,” you said, giving him a little wave. “You really took your time joining us.”

“A mundane wake-up call would have sufficed. No need to unleash bedlam.” Ah, truly as icy as ever. Masochistic as you were, you truly missed him.

“I tried, but you just didn't want to get up. So I had to get creative.”

“Thanks to which I find you in this sorry state. It's so hard to find good help.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. Lucilius had never minced his words, least of all with you, especially when it came to his expectations not being met. It was as though he hadn’t been gone at all during the past two millennia. “Hahaha... I really worked myself to the bone though. I think I deserve a little praise.” It wasn’t like you had messed everything up - Etemenanki was so close, and with it, Lucilius’ dream. “Right, Sarry?”

“Silence.”

“Yeowch!” That kick came out of nowhere, and you winced at the sudden pain. “You kicked me! Right where he stabbed me too!”

“Why is the world still here? What happened to my grand finale?” The displeasure was apparent on Lucilius’ face as he looked around Pandemonium. No, no, it was much more than that - disgust, disappointment, all of it combined to form the expression he currently wore.

“We're just about to kick it off. It's not exactly going smoothly though,” you replied. You weren’t going to say it out loud, but you weren’t lying when you said even a little bit of praise would be nice. Was he really just going to ignore the progress you had made even without him? The lack of acknowledgment stung a little bit, but even you could admit that wasn’t important right now. “By the way, how long do you think you've been asleep? It's been two thousand years, you know.”

“Two thousand years?” It seemed he didn’t know that, but it looked like he didn’t care, either. “Give me a status report on the plan and a summary of historical changes.”

Getting right down to business as always. Despite everything, the fact that he hadn’t changed made you feel relieved. “Oookay. But first, sorry to put you out, but could you take a look at my fellow skeweree?” Sariel was no longer moving, but you could still hear his faint breathing.

“Start talking. I can examine him on-site.”

You did as you were told, giving him a rundown of what had happened in the past two thousand years as he worked on separating you and Sariel. It was difficult to regenerate as you spoke, but you obediently told Lucilius everything he needed to know. He listened quietly throughout it all, taking in the information, until he finally let out a sigh.

“Oh dear. Is something wrong?” you asked, tilting your head curiously. There wasn’t anything of particular concern, was there? Save for the matter of Sandalphon, you had taken care of most things quite well, and -

“Is Lucifer really dead?”

You paused.

Lucifer, Lucifer, Lucifer. Of course he would ask about Lucifer.

It took all your effort not to waver as he awaited your response. You didn’t miss the pensive tone of his voice, the far-off look in his eyes as he looked down at his body. Of all the things you had told him, of all the things that had happened in the past two thousand years, that was his only takeaway.

You wondered if ‘bitterness’ was the most apt word to describe what you were feeling right now.

“Come on now. I don't want to talk about him anymore,” you sighed, unable to disguise your exasperation. “Once the grand finale comes, your buddy and everything else will be returned to nothingness anyhow, so—”

“Do you think I'd be hampered by sentimentality, you clod?” Just like that, his tone turned colder than it had ever been before, as though he had doused you with ice water himself. His irritation was apparent as he turned his gaze to the skies. “Don't you sense it? An aura just like his is slinking its way toward us.”

“Just like his?” That could only mean -

Before you could react, there was light, so blinding it took you a moment to regain your vision. When you did, you saw Lucilius standing before you and Sariel, arm outstretched and face firm with both concentration and something you couldn’t quite tell. You stood up as Sandalphon approached, Lucifer’s large white wings shining brightly on his back.

“Hmph. So the spare took his place,” muttered Lucilius, earning him a sharper glare from the other angel.

“Lucilius! You stole Lucifer's body!”

“Stole?” you scoffed, cutting in. “Artists can use their creations however they please.”

“Ugh, it's you!” Behind Sandalphon followed the singularity and their crew, with the crimson dragon among their numbers. “Shut it, perv! You look like something the cat dragged in!”

You couldn’t help but chuckle. “Mmm, your down-talk is just as good as I remember, Scaly. I've missed that.”

The look on Lucilius’ face turned even more unpleasant as he looked upon the party. “The girl of blue and the red dragon. Why do I see the two of them flanking the singularity?”

“I wonder?” you said, shrugging. “Probably because this singularity is different.”

“Hunh... The gods' apple cart has overturned, eh?”

“Enough chatter!” exclaimed Sandalphon, every ounce of his anger directed at you both. “You won't get away with what you've done! I'll never let you! You die right here, right now!”

“So grumpy!” you mused, turning to look at Lucilius. “What shall we do, Cilius? This one's cute, but pretty feisty.”

But he was already turning away, sights set towards Etemenanki. “Idiotic,” he murmured, his tone dismissive as it always was. “My final, divine obstacle awaits.” He paused for a moment to spare you a telling glance. “Belial.”

Ah, leaving the dirty work to you, of course. “Oookay,” you hummed. “You go on ahead. Have fun at the divine tower, Etemenanki.” You offered him a smile, your voice turning soft as you spoke. “I'll meet up with you later. Let's watch it all disintegrate together.”

A sigh and a shake of the head. “You’re an idiot, too.”

You watched him leave, heading towards the tower without another word. There was an odd prickle in your chest watching him go, just like that, as if it meant nothing to him to leave you behind.

Perhaps he was right. Perhaps you were an idiot.

After all, hadn’t you devoted your entire life to him? To a man who lived entirely for himself?

“We’ve got to go after him, Captain!” The girl of blue’s voice brought you back down to earth, and this time you approached them with a smile.

“Ooh, how aggressive,” you said, your tone as mocking as you could muster. “You think you can go after Cilius? I saw him first—by two thousand years.”

“Don't insult us!” Sandalphon was there in an instant, standing before the singularity. He had really teamed up with them now, hadn’t he? “You think you're in any condition to stop us?”

“Of course—wait.” You blinked, pretending to be taken aback. “You're all going to gang up on beat-up little me?” You laughed, lips curling into a smirk. “That's so mean. I thought the supreme primarch was supposed to be fair, even to his enemies.”

Sandalphon glared. “You're not going to slow us down with your prattle.”

“Heh... You've gotten even more charming since Canaan.” Your smirk only widened. “You're all grown up now. Did the singularity make a man of you?”

He charged in a flash - but at the same moment, Sariel came rushing, deflecting the attack.

Sarry…? The surprise on your face was genuine this time, as the angel in black stood before you, panting softly. He had barely recovered, his body still somewhat faded as he stood before you, scythe tightly gripped in his hand.

“Sariel!” Even Sandalphon was surprised. “Why are you protecting him?”

“Good to see you back to your senses, Sarry,” you finally managed, regaining your composure. Your voice turned gentle, as it always did when you spoke to him. “How are those destructive impulses?”

“Fine... I feel like myself again…” Sariel was quick to bow his head to you, much to your amusement; even in a situation like this, even though it took every ounce of his energy just to speak, he still managed to be polite. “It was your words that helped me push back the darkness of the void. Thank you.”

“Don't you understand what's happening here?” Sandalphon exclaimed in disbelief. “You were just an experiment to the two of them! The formation of the fallen angels was only ever to fulfill Lucilius' scheme—”

“I don’t care.” As weak as he sounded, Sariel’s voice was firm and unwavering. He continued, even though every word seemed to drain him of the power he had left. “Primal beasts were always tools... Sentience was an inconvenient by-product of our creation. But the deputy head never treated me as a tool. He gave me assignments suited to my personality rather than my abilities. So... I'm fine with this.”

There it was again, the prickle at your chest that you hadn’t felt in a while. It was the same feeling as when you urged Sariel to join the fallen angels despite knowing what his fate would be. It was the same feeling as when Michael came to you, bright-eyed and eager, not knowing every report she gave you betrayed Lucifer by aiding you and Lucilius in your plans. It was the same feeling as when she came at you with her fiery rage when she learned of your treachery, believing you had changed when you had always, always done everything for Lucilius and no one else.

That feeling… It was called guilt , wasn’t it?

You hadn’t felt it in a while. Perhaps it was because of that that it felt more painful than you remembered.

“Very well…” Sandalphon clenched his fists, steeling his own will. “I have a promise to keep. If you stand against me of your own free will, then—”

He spread his wings, their majestic light impossible to ignore. Sariel looked upon them with awe. “That aura... is so beautiful. Just like the supreme primarch's…” And yet, you noticed his grip around his scythe tightening. You wondered if part of him was scared of the sheer power those wings emanated; you couldn’t really fault him if he was. “Deputy Head, Sandalphon is strong. We can't defeat him in our current condition. I will shield you while you regenerate.”

“Oookay,” you said. Part of you hesitated, but you knew that this was the perfect moment. Perhaps it was even the only chance you had. “I'll get on that regeneration.”

Sariel nodded. “Yes. Then look for your opportunity to retreat.” You could sense that he was trying to give you a reassuring smile, even under his mask, and that only made the guilt eat at you further. “Have no fear. As one of the fallen angels, I will protect you—”

Sarry.. I hope you can forgive me.

“...!”

Sariel yelped in pain, and the girl of blue screamed, as you ripped off the pair of wings on his back. You tried to keep your face straight despite the obvious pain on his own, his eyes wide in his shock.

“You did well, Sarry,” you said, your tone as casual as you could manage. “Only two wings though... That's odd. You were supposed to have four.”

“What are you doing, you lunatic!” the crimson dragon cried. “Why would you steal his wings!”

“Depu...ty?” The look on Sariel’s face wasn’t even one of betrayal - it was simply one of confusion, unable to fathom what had just happened, what you had just done. You tried not to look at him, turning instead to look at Sandalphon and the others.

They were your enemies, after all. Like this… they could leave Sariel alone.

And those tainted wings wouldn’t bring him pain any more.

“If I'm going to repair the wounds inflicted by Bubs' chaos matter, I'll need some of Avatar's power,” you explained with a shrug of your shoulders. “Besides, I was curious. Wings tainted by void's destructive impulses... I wanted to taste your core…”

Sariel was shaking, the pain of losing his wings, his power, racking his entire body. It took all your effort not to waver as you looked right at him this time, with his anguish so apparent in those naive, blue eyes of his. If he came out of this despising you with every fiber of his being, you wouldn’t mind it - you deserved it, after all.

“Thanks,” you said, the smile on your face sick, disgusting, despicable. “You really were a good little soldier ant. Now…” This time, you turned to the singularity and their companions, bowing theatrically. “Enjoy the grand finale.”

Their cries of panic fell on deaf ears as Sariel’s wings helped you to regenerate - except it was no mere regeneration, but a harnessing of Avatar’s powers within you. Your body trembled from the sheer ecstasy, and you couldn’t help the laughter that escaped your lips from the glee.

“So this is Avatar’s thirst for destruction,” you mused to yourself, the power so overwhelming you could feel the electricity on your fingertips. You haven’t had this much strength in ages - or, more accurately, you had never felt this much power, so much that you weren’t sure you could handle it. Was this why Avatar did nothing but destroy everything in his path?

Still, unlike Avatar, you had a working brain; you could control this, this raw power, use it to stop Sandalphon and the singularity from making it to Etemenanki. Your laughter grew louder and louder as your body buzzed from the sensation, from the power flowing through your veins, like a billion needles shooting through your bloodstream.

“Cilius, I can feel your genius working inside me... Filling me to the brim…” If anything, that was the very thing that made you throb , made you tremble from pure ecstasy, made you want to reach that final climax. To be fused with Lucilius’ own legacy, his grand masterpiece, just like this… you had never tasted anything quite as sweet, as enthralling, as addicting.

“The power to drag god from his throne…” You looked down at Lucifer’s heir and at the child next to him, baring your teeth in a feral grin. After two thousand years, at long last, it was time for your release. “Come on Sandy, Singularity… Take me for a test drive.”

“Here he comes, Singularity…!”

Oh, it was unbelievably exhilarating - they came at you with everything they had, but unlike last time, when you had just come out of hiding and had barely recovered any power, you now had the upper hand. Even with Sandalphon possessing the power of the supreme primarch, your eight tainted wings were far stronger than his mere six.

This was the power of Lucilius’ legacy - no, this was Lucilius’ legacy itself, living inside you, its destructive power filling you so much that it was overflowing, and yet you wanted more, more, more . It was so utterly wonderful seeing Sandalphon, cute, feisty little Sandy doing his very best to stop you and failing , and you were barely even breaking a sweat.

He was breathless, wavering, frantic. “Singularity, take Lyria and Vyrn and get down!” he cried out, wings burning even brighter as he tried to summon as much of Lucifer’s power as he could. “Paradise...Lost!”

“Ugh, don’t you have any new tricks?” you groaned, rolling your eyes in boredom. This was becoming too easy. “Anagenesis!”

It was as though his power amounted to nothing at all. Sandalphon slumped, the six wings behind his back disappearing.

“Oops. Guess he used up all the supreme primarch's power.” You shrugged, looking down at the other angel’s pathetic figure on the ground. “Well, you were just a temporary replacement anyhow. No way you could've actually mastered it… I’ll send you to join Lucifer.”

“Hnh… Urgh… Stay back, Singularity…”

Foolish. Even until now, he was thinking of protecting them? It looks like he and Lucifer had the exact same flaw, stupidly risking their lives for others instead of saving their own hides.

You had no time for this. You had to join Lucilius in Etemenanki soon.

“So long, Sandy.”

“Sandalphon—”

But fate did not seem to be on your side today.

“Mikey?” You raised a brow as the bright, flaming primarch flew in to take the blow for Sandalphon, who looked just as surprised as you were. Interesting. “Never thought you'd take a bullet for Sandalphon. Guess you two were closer than I thought.” Still, it didn’t really matter; if she was going to get in the way, you’d take her out as well. “But what good is it saving this husk of a supreme primarch?”

Michael’s expression was one of disgust hearing that familiar nickname coming from your lips, but she simply ignored it. “Hunh... We're on the worst possible terms... But I would rather die… Than see the supreme primarch lose to a fallen angel!”

She sent a fiery blast in your direction, but you dodged it effortlessly, flying higher to avoid being scorched. “Fwahaha... You've really got guts.” Unwelcome as this development was, you had to admire the woman’s tenacity. She wasn’t in her best condition, and yet she had come here to rescue Sandalphon.

No, not just to rescue him, but -

You blinked. Were those… the other primarchs’ wings?

Not good.

You flew down immediately, interrupting. “Well then. Done with your huddle?”

It was too late, of course. When your gaze met Sandalphon’s, you saw that his was once again full of resolve. His body started to glow as he took their wings on top of his own, the light emanating from him a different kind than before.

“So the four primarchs entrusted you with their wings,” you hummed. “But with the supreme primarch's power already inside you, you must be fit to burst.”

Not even your words could shake him now, it seemed. He looked at you with such fierce determination that it made you pause in the air, made you fear that he could now actually be strong enough to defeat you. “I'm going to finish this,” he said, his voice reverberating in the air. “It's time to settle the score between the archangels and the fallen angels… And between you and me!”

If there was one thing you learned from Lucilius, it was the importance of planning.

You had planned for the primarchs’ resistance; they had been loyal to Lucifer from the start, so it was inevitable that you would cross paths. You had planned for Beelzebub’s betrayal; your instinct had warned you against him from the very beginning, and his views had never been exactly the same as Lucilius’. You had planned for the development of Sandalphon’s potential, sensing that as Lucifer’s right hand, it would be inevitable for him to manage the supreme primarch’s power, and to be strong enough to be a threat to you and your plans.

You hadn’t planned for the Singularity.

It didn’t help that they were so unpredictable . Even if, say, you assumed that they’d meddle in every possible thing they could squeeze themselves into, you could never guess exactly what they would do.

Had Sandalphon become strong enough to overpower you, you thought it would be easy to just break him down again by reminding him of Lucifer’s death. That was his little trigger, after all, and what would make it hurt even more? To tell him Lucifer died because of him , because Lucifer had tried to protect him, at the cost of his own life. You thought you had it in the bag when the light in Sandalphon’s eyes died, as boring as how quickly he shut down, deaf to the cries of the girl of blue, of the crimson dragon, of Michael.

But then came the Singularity’s voice, bringing him back to reality.

Now here you were at last, brought to your knees after two millennia of pulling strings from the shadows. You were out of breath, the wings on your back gone, all strength gone from your body. Even your taunts had no power over them now, determined as they were to learn how to stop Pandemonium.

“Please!” the girl of blue pleaded, her fists clenched in determination. “Give up your plan to return the world to nothingness…”

“I’ll tell you,” you teased, “if you lay a little sugar on me.”

“We don’t have time for your jokes!” the helmsman (Rackam, was it?) fired back, pointing his gun at you.

A gun, really? “What a thrilling weapon,” you chuckled, doubting he would even fire it. “There’s just something about that explosive release…”

Bang!

Well, Michael firing a gun you hadn’t considered. You were getting rather rusty at this.

“I’m sick of your voice. We’ll find the solution ourselves.” Feisty as always, this one. She turned around, looking at the rest of the crew. “Someone bring me Sariel’s scythe.”

“Why the hurry, Mikey?” you cooed, shaking your head slowly. “What are you afraid of? Think I’ll run off on you again?”

If looks could kill, you swore hers could have turned you into ashes that very moment. “I’m not interested in bandying words with you, serpent,” she spat, the loathing in her voice clearer than ever.

“Don’t glare at me like that. What’s become of my adorable little trainee?” She took a step forward at that, but the helmsman reached out to hold her back. “And you're all missing the point. The grand finale is also the beasts' salvation, you know.”

“Enough of your sophistry,” Sandalphon cut in, but you ignored him and continued.

“Yours especially, Michael,” you said, your gaze directed at the glaring primarch. “Beasts were created to toil thanklessly for our masters, undying, for all eternity. Archangels bound by their allotted roles, modern beasts bound by contracts. Behind that awesome power is a yawning emptiness.”

“Maybe in the past!” It was the little mage girl butting in now. Would these people ever let you finish talking? “Primal beasts can lead normal lives now!”

You scoffed. “Normal? I guess from your limited perspective it might seem that way.” At the confused look on her face, you gestured towards Sandalphon. “You understanding skyfarers welcomed Sandy into the fold even though he was hated and feared for causing the cataclysms. But in a hundred years' time? Or a thousand? Who will be there in your place to sympathize with him? His friends who understand will die off one by one, and the task of protecting an ungrateful world will wear on him, but he will live on forever—alone, misunderstood, laboring in futility.” Such was the fate of primal beasts. That should have been common sense. Had these people not thought about that at all? “I simply want to free him from that cycle,” you finished, though with those final words, the female primal beast among their ranks pursed her lips.

“You don't get to decide for us that our lives are meaningless,” she said, looking directly at you. “You're talking about extremes as if they were the rule.”

“What did skydwellers ever give Lucifer in return for his efforts?” At this, she turned silent, unable to respond. “He did battle with the enemies of the sky all his life, and did its inhabitants even know his name?”

This time, it was Sandalphon who cut in once again, unable as he was to shut up in matters pertaining to Lucifer. “Still your tongue. You're not fit to say his name,” he said, his gaze threatening. “If you want to see the end so badly, I'll end you! You can apologize to the other archangels in the hereaf—”

And then Pandemonium began to shake once again.

That was enough to distract them. This, at last, was your opportunity. You stood up, brushing the dust off of you, looking unfazed even as they pointed their weapons at you once more.

“Come back here!” exclaimed Michael. “You think you can escape in your condition?”

“Give it up already! We're not gonna let you turn the sky red!” the crimson dragon said. By his side, the girl of blue nodded.

“Th-that's right!” she said. You could see her hands were shaking, yet she put on a show of bravery anyway. “We'll get our blue skies back!”

“Your blue skies, hm?” You sighed and shook your head. “Why are you so hung up on that? Don't you have any questions, any suspicions about how the world works? Logic, causality, and the laws of physics are nothing more than tools of the gods' convenience.” That was what Lucilius had taught you, and those were the words you lived by. “There's no reason why the sky has to be blue.”

You smiled as you stepped back now, intent on making your escape. Sandalphon’s eyes widened as he watched, making a move to stop you from falling.

“Then… Enjoy the grand finale.”

“Don't you dare!” he exclaimed, lunging after you. “You don't get to end your own life!”

Foolish boy. What good was there in chasing you now? Had he forgotten what he was supposed to be doing?

You only chuckled and closed your eyes as you allowed the darkness to take you.

“This time, it really is goodbye.”

If there was another thing you learned from Lucilius, it was that having back-up plans was just as important, if not more important, than having any plans to begin with.

If you had to be very honest (and you didn’t have to, you weren’t the archangel of cunning for nothing ), you had already accepted your defeat much, much earlier - the Singularity being by Sandalphon’s side as he defeated you had cemented that even further. And so you had already thought, as early as then, that it wasn’t impossible for Lucilius to be defeated, too.

So you had to escape, of course, but you also needed a way to make it back. If Sandalphon and the Singularity were able to stop Lucilius, and if in that scenario he still lived , you had to find a way to make it back and save him. In case you lost your wings, you needed to have another option to get back to the top of Etemenanki, thus the airship. You could even use it as a bargaining tool with the Singularity later on, a chance at their own escape should Etemenanki still collapse. In that case, then, it was child's play to install a time bomb in the ship to give them a bit more trouble…

From below, you could see the tower begin to collapse, beginning its descent towards Pandemonium. You could still feel him, but there was no time to waste.

“Wait for me, Cilius.” As always, he wasn't there to hear your words, but you said them anyway. The plan to put an end to everything? Screw that. It didn't matter to you anymore whether it failed - there was no way you were losing Lucilius after two thousand years of waiting for his return.

You wouldn't let him slip through your fingers anymore.

This time…

This time, you would…

Everything was falling, crashing, sinking, all around you, none of it helped by the elliptical rift that had opened in the sky and began to pull the tower in. From a distance you could hear hurried footsteps and frantic voices - it could only be the Singularity and their crew, without a doubt. As expected, they were rushing to get out before the tower collapsed completely, or before they got sucked in by the rift.

“What we need is an airship!”

Bingo . You allowed yourself a soft chuckle. It was truly a good thing you had prepared.

“Right!” It was the girl of blue, a renewed look of determination on her face this time. “Maybe Siero can help us get an airship-”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” you interrupted, stepping into the picture like it was completely natural. Even with Etemenanki falling into ruin around them, the crew quickly put up their guard, and the sight of them looking so determined despite their sorry state made you grin. “Help has arrived.”

“You're alive, you scum?” Ah, Sandy, never one to mince his words.

You chuckled in response, shrugging nonchalantly. “I am the archangel of cunning, you know,” you said pointedly. “It was a really close call though,” you sighed, the exhaustion in your voice not entirely a farce. “I had to hitch a ride on an airship to conserve my strength.”

“Why you... Who'd be dumb enough to trust you!” exclaimed the crimson dragon.

“Simmer down, Scaly. I really am here to help.” You paused, smiled, made a gesture. “Cilius, that is.”

Even he looked to be in a sorry state - worn, beaten, defeated. In the back of your head, you wondered if Lucifer had looked the same when Beelzebub had run him through. You had never seen Lucilius like this, not even once; after all, he had been a researcher, not a fighter, always confined to his lab as if the world outside it didn't exist. You only noticed the irony of it now; he hadn't really explored the world he had sought to destroy, had he?

He did not speak, simply laying on the ground, rid of his former glory. Had he given up? You wanted to move closer to him now, but your words had only made the crew even warier.

“To help Lucilius?” the girl of blue repeated. “So you're going to mount another evil plan?”

Again, you shrugged. “That depends on Cilius. So let's talk terms.” You held out your arms in an open gesture. “Will you let the two of us go? There's an airship in it for you. We're all nearly out of strength and time... Don't you think a peaceful solution would be better than standing here hurling insults?”

“What do you take us for!” replied Sandalphon, glaring. It exhausted you, sometimes, how other people didn’t believe you even when you were being genuine. Not that you were being entirely genuine in this scenario, anyway - the crew didn’t have to know about the bomb until they got in the airship.

“I'm sure you can tell from my aura—I'm really on my last legs here.” Again, it wasn’t a lie. You hadn’t really had the time to regenerate since you fell, and piloting the airship to return to the top of the tower had taken the last of your energy. You turned to look at the Singularity, who was clasping their sword tight in one hand as they watched your every move. “Singularity,” you murmured, a somber expression on your face, “you've already decided, haven't you?”

They turned to look at the battered Grandcypher crew, at their friends. It didn’t take more than a moment before they faced you again, eyes burning with determination and with a desire to protect so strong it almost took you aback. “Where is it?” they asked.

You allowed yourself a smile of relief. “Thank you.” You stepped back slightly, gesturing behind you. “I ran a rope out behind me as I came down the hallway. If you follow it out, you should see the ship.”

The crew still looked wary, but the Singularity was their captain, and they would follow them anywhere, even to the very ends of the world. They nodded their heads and started to head towards the ship, sparing glances back at you as they ran to make sure you wouldn’t do anything.

Sandalphon, in particular, did not take his eyes off you. Looking at him like this, part of you couldn’t help but feel like you were looking into a mirror. Not that you were identical, of course, but you could see your own resolve reflected in his.

Both of you had realized it, you thought - that you both had things you wanted to protect.

Things you could no longer afford to lose.

“It's fine,” Sandalphon said to the girl of blue, briefly turning his gaze away from yours to reassure her. “The Singularity isn't wrong. We can defeat him again. Any time. As many times as necessary.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at that. He truly was amusing, that Sandalphon, still managing to have some resolve despite everything that had happened. You figured he had the Singularity to thank for that, and the rest of the crew as well. It seemed he had found a new home, a place where he could be himself and be accepted.

Even without the wings on his back, there was a light that radiated off him, a light that was soft, gentle, and warm, a light that reminded you of Lucifer. In the back of your mind, in a distant past, you could see it - a peaceful garden bathed with bright sunlight, and Lucifer’s smile that was even brighter. “Perhaps someday, you and Sandalphon could have a proper chat,” he had said, looking hopeful, and you had chuckled and retorted that little Sandy didn’t seem to like you. Even so, Lucifer insisted, inviting you to visit the shaded garden sometime for a cup of coffee, perhaps even with Lucilius by your side.

You had thought him foolish then, but now… Had things been different, you wondered if you had genuinely gotten along.

In your mind, you thought you would have.

You smiled, your thoughts known to no one but you, and bade your goodbye. “Well then, enjoy the denouement.”

They wasted no time now, running in the direction of the airship as you directed them. You waited until they were out of sight before you finally sighed, turning back to look at Lucilius.

“We need to get a move on too,” you said, approaching him to help him get up. “I'm pretty sure we don't want to wind up in that dimensional rift.” The rainbow-colored tear in the sky seemed to be getting bigger, adding to the chaos of the collapsing tower. Lucilius made a little “Hunh” sound as you assisted him, and you blinked, turning to look at him in amusement.

“Are you sulking?” you teased, trying to keep from laughing in such a situation. “It's a shame the plan didn't work out, but we can always make a new one.”

“You're not fooling me,” he murmured, his voice a weary rumble against you as he spoke. His brows were furrowed, his mouth set in a frown as he looked at you with an expression akin to one of disbelief. “You don't care at all that it failed.”

“No, I mean it,” you insisted. It really wasn’t a lie this time; ever since you decided to follow him, his dream had become yours, as well, and to see it all fall apart like this did make you feel some regret. You could have done better, you thought, could have prevented yourself from being hampered by sentimentality and got the job done like Lucilius would have wanted.

But in the end, it was also true that you didn’t care.

Perhaps it was selfish. Perhaps it was even stupid. But when you thought about it, all you really wanted was to be by Lucilius’ side, where you had earned your place, where you belonged.

If the world didn’t end as he had wanted, then so be it.

“Well. It's a shame,” you said, shrugging slightly, “but it still was amusing.”

Lucilius closed his eyes. The expression on his face was a familiar one, the expression of a genius frustrated that he faced something he couldn’t quite seem to understand. “Contradictions from you too…” he muttered under his breath, and this time, you smiled.

“Love is a mass of contradictions, Cilius.”

Before he could even respond, the ground began to shake harder, and the rift started to grow even bigger. Lucilius gasped as a bright light began to shine within him, enveloping him in his glow, as if to consume him.

“Urgh!”

“Cilius!” Well, this you hadn’t planned for. “This is bad. The rift's gravity is intensifying…” Immediately, you reached out to him. “Hold onto me—”

But it was too late. The rift was far too strong, and the light was growing brighter and brighter. It didn’t take much to put two and two together.

“This is the Speaker's doing, isn't it!” If that was the case, there was truly nothing you could do about it. You sighed, turning towards the light. “I guess someone has to be your whipping boy, Cilius.”

You reached out towards him, allowing the light to envelop you as well. The rift’s pull was getting stronger and stronger, almost as if an invisible hand had wrapped around you both and were purposefully pulling you in. Somehow, the mental image of the Speaker dragging you down into the gap between the dimensions himself made you burst into laughter.

Perhaps this was it, then. Your rightful punishment at last.

You closed your eyes, and allowed all of it to come to an end.

epilogue

Nothingness.

There was no other way to describe the gap between dimensions - empty space, total nonbeing, oblivion. The perfect place to imprison those who had defied the Omnipotent by trying to bring everything into ruin.

It was actually somewhat ironic, you thought. You had meant to turn the world into nothingness, and now here you were in something quite akin to that. Almost as if you had achieved your own goal in the end.

But that wasn't the case, of course. The plan - no, all the plans had failed, and now you were imprisoned in this space.

It was impossible to keep track of time here. You wondered how long it had been since you got sucked in; weeks, months, a year? Or perhaps it had only been a few hours? None of it mattered in the end, especially not for you, when you had spent two thousand years for his revival. To you, it was like time itself barely existed.

Lucilius had not spoken since, simply keeping to himself, as if trying to understand everything that had happened. Every now and then you would tease him, asking him silly questions like what he wanted for breakfast and if he would like a bath to stay fresh, or try to strike a conversation, wondering out loud if there was a way to escape this space, some sort of tear in dimensions from which you could get out. As much as you pushed, he never responded, almost acting as if you weren’t there, and after a while, you decided not to push it.

Funnily enough, it was almost like the days you had spent back at the lab. But things were different now, and you weren’t stupid enough to delude yourself otherwise.

You often found him looking down at his hands, at his body - a body that, despite being nearly identical to his, was not his, a body that belonged to his own creation, the supreme primarch Lucifer, the only one who he had considered his equal.

Lucilius had thought him perfect. And yet Lucifer was dead and gone, Lucilius wore his body, and you took the place at his side.

You wondered what had happened at Etemenanki. It wasn't difficult to tell that his demeanor had changed since, like he had learned something up there that had changed his life. You knew that he had met the Omnipotent's Speaker, but nothing else, and you weren't really going to try to pry him for information.

So you stayed by his side, loyal as you always were, and waited.

You didn't know when exactly it was when he settled next to you, a distant look in his eyes as he took his place. You were silent as you waited for him to speak; having him up close like this, for the first time in quite a while, you felt like you could see him again. You didn’t realize until then that you haven’t had him all to yourself since he revived.

You would have reached out to touch him, if you had his permission. But you stilled your hand and waited, like always.

When he spoke at last, his voice was a bit hoarse from disuse, yet it sounded clearer than ever in this empty space that had nothing but the two of you. “...Belial.”

“What is it, Cilius?” Your own voice was a bit strained as well, but neither of you paid it any mind.

“I have not...thanked you, for all that you had done.” It took a moment for you to process what he had said, your eyes slowly widening in surprise as it sunk in. He spoke slowly, hesitantly - not because he was insincere, but because he was unused to words of gratitude. “When Lucifer had killed me, I thought… I knew I could entrust my legacy to you. Perhaps you did not carry out my plans as well as I would have hoped, but you took care of them anyway.” He paused, contemplating his words, before he nodded and looked at you; you thought those blue eyes of his had never looked as clear as they did that very moment. “Your effort was not bad, if I do say so myself.”

...What?

What...was this?

You felt it so suddenly, filling your chest close to bursting - warmth of the overwhelming kind, so unfamiliar and yet so intimate you could feel it spread all throughout your body. It took your breath away, made you lose your train of thought, filled you with an unknown feeling you couldn't put into words.

You wondered if you had the capacity to cry. You had never done it before, but you felt like you could at any moment.

In the end, you managed a laugh; it seemed a feeble response, but not an unexpected one, Lucilius’ expression unchanging as he waited for you to speak.

“It's nothing, Cilius,” you said, waving a hand dismissively. At your words, he started to frown in displeasure, and you wondered if he would retort with ‘It's not nothing,’ but you smiled before he could speak. “I’ve always lived and breathed for you after all, remember?”

He pursed his lips at that. “Foolish. That wasn't how I created you,” he murmured under his breath. You could already see him drawing up the blueprints and making the calculations in his head, something you had always found charming. “Not exactly a flaw in your design, I suppose, but…”

You chuckled, shaking your head slowly. “Do you not get it, Cilius?” He met your gaze, curiosity reflected in those eyes of his that were blue just like the skies, and you smiled, speaking softly. “I've always followed you of my own free will.”

Never have you said anything as true as you did in that moment.

It really had been like that, always. From the moment you laid eyes on him, from the moment he gave you your name and purpose, from the moment he gave you life , you had followed him. He had never ordered you to follow him, never programmed you with absolute obedience, never forced you into catering to his every whim. You had always, always followed him of your own accord, with the freedom that you had been born with.

You had made the decision to follow him yourself. And whatever the circumstance, you knew that if you were given another chance, you would choose to follow him again, and again, and again.

Because…

“You really are a fool.” Lucilius’ sigh was one of exasperation, but faintly, underneath, you felt it - the same warmth that filled you that very moment. The warmth that seemed to expand even further as he leaned against your side, closing his eyes to rest. “You… and Lucifer, too…” He paused, and you watched him, waiting with bated breath, until he finished.

“Perhaps… I myself am quite foolish, too.”

If you could get any warmer than you did now, you felt as though you would combust. All you could really do was smile, shifting slightly so your cheek rested atop his head.

“‘Love is a mass of contradictions,’ is what you said.” You couldn't see it, but you felt as though he was smiling, as well. “Perhaps that is something I can explore next.”

Oh how you wanted to preserve this moment forever.

You chuckled softly, closing your eyes to rest as well. You deserved it, after all this time. “Then, I'll accompany you on your research, Cilius,” you promised, eliciting what sounded like a pleased sound from him.

He knew you meant every word, and that was all that mattered.