Chapter Text
Humans are interesting beings, unpredictable and complex individuals to understand. Each one of them was a world, unique among the billions of people who existed on the earthly plane, different as in their physique as in their ideas and thinking. They lived their own reality and acted according to it; Among themselves it was difficult to decipher what was going on in the others heads. If there were conflicts between the same species, it was no wonder that Lucifer felt so distant from the subjects who inhabited his kingdom.
The sovereign lord of Hell, who was supposed to be above everyone, felt like someone left over among his people for the simple fact of not knowing what it was to be a human being, he did not share the same origin as all those souls that surrounded him. He was once a mighty angel, a figure who in his glory days shone so brightly as the stars in the sky, who became one of the fallen and ruled the abyss to which he was exiled. He had an amazing record, however, in both stages of his life he always looked at the human from afar; Lucifer could never understand them, the most of the time he couldn't understand why they behaved or acted a certain way.
When he thought that he could finally feel closer to these beings with Lilith's help, nothing turned out as he expected. His wife was a human, so it didn't take him long to gain the power of Hell by understanding every sinner who lived there. Lucifer was relegated first by Heaven and then by his lands, because of this he felt that there was no place in the three kingdoms where he truly belonged.
He thought that at least he would be allowed a light in his life and a role to attach himself to with the arrival of his daughter, but that workshop, where he used to repress his creativity by creating duck shaped toys and which he used to cheer up his little girl with great stories, soon lost their color when Lilith began to reduce the number of visits from little Charlie, due to the instability and depression that Lucifer was going through.
—Infecting our daughter with the sadness of your tragic past is not good, Lucifer —was what Lilith said in the last meeting they had—. She asks me questions about that... And we all know what happens to this family when they ask too many questions —with her always direct and cruel words, Lucifer understood why she was a better sovereign than him when dealing with sinners.
Isolated in his gloomy workshop, under complete silence and surrounded by ducks of all sizes and colors, Lucifer was lying on his work table, overwhelmed by all the noise in his head. His last conversation with his wife was hard to bear: she revived many memories of the past, forced him to face the reality of his present, and made him fear for the possible future. Opening his eyes to realize what he was doing with his life, it only reminded him that he was a fallen angel surrounded by cruel human souls, who kept him aware day after day that he was in a dark abyss thanks to his daring actions centuries ago.
Lucifer's fist landed on the table causing it to shake violently. No matter how frustrated he was, he realized something wasn't right; His skin did not feel the scratchy wood, rather he felt the texture of rolled, crushed and crumpled paper. He slowly looked up, realizing that, under his fist, he had hit a pretty parchment that had appeared out of nowhere, because he didn't remember seeing it a few minutes ago.
Taking it in his hands, he unconsciously raised his eyebrows in confusion, only to give way to shock. He tried to stay calm, but again everything from his past overwhelmed him. The pupils of his eyes trembled as they remained fixed on a parchment like that. Lucifer didn't need to open it to know where it came from. The designs and colors that decorated the edges of the paper clearly revealed that it had come from Heaven, probably dropped from a portal in the midst of his silent crisis.
Why did such an object reach him? Lucifer knew that there was no reason for Heaven to contact him, he was never asked for his opinion and presence, even if it were things related to his kingdom. He looked frantically from side to side, finding nothing out of place, confirming that he was alone.
—Maybe it's for Lilith… —he said to himself out loud, with a low mood reflected on his face. Heaven did not want to know anything about them, they were disowned, but if they had to choose someone to discuss a matter with, Lucifer was convinced that they would look for Lilith as she was the one who truly guided the nine infernal rings.
He still opened the parchment to corroborate his thoughts, but great was his surprise when he noticed that his name was written on the first line, he was the recipient. His eyes widened, not knowing whether to rejoice at the small hint of recognition or fear at his presence being requested in Heaven.
He read the contents twice to make sure it wasn't some bad joke, but the signature of a former colleague and brother was at the end, as neat and elegant as he remembered; A sad nostalgia invaded Lucifer's heart. Although the handwriting on the body of the letter was unrefined and with basic wording, the signature of an archangel was on the paper.
A complicated feeling took shelter in Lucifer's chest, still doubtful of what he had in his hands. The discomfort of a bad feeling troubled his head, but he decided to ignore it with the same force.
His eyes looked through the window, seeing the crimson sky adorned by a large red pentagram, the seal that limited the reach of Hell and kept the plane of the Heavenly lands safe. Lucifer returned his eyes to the information on the parchment, to the specific paragraph where the date, time and place where he had to go for a topic to be discussed were indicated.
[…]
Lucifer waited patiently for about an hour at the agreed upon location, a remote place difficult to access for common sinners, far from the headquarters of Heaven where it was usual for non-corporeal versions of his representatives to come down to speak with Lilith. Lucifer found strange to see himself in a place other than the divine base, he thought there must be a reason behind it, but he was still distrustful.
When more than an hour and a half had passed, Lucifer threw down the rubber duck he had been playing with all this time and prepared to leave. His eyes turned bright red at the fury that exploded inside him, angry at falling so easily for such a ridiculous joke. He was about to fly off to look for someone responsible, but a golden light illuminated him from behind, forcing him to stop.
He turned hastily to find an opening in space: a portal that radiated golden light at its edges, at its center showing the image of a white hallway made of marble. Lucifer's demonic features disappeared, returning to his usual simple appearance. His eyes trembled at the image he had just a step away from him. He stayed there for a few seconds, with the portal illuminating his face, before exhaling deeply and crossing into the Heaven as he held his breath.
It was unreal to step on such a shiny floor, a strange sensation invaded him when he was aware that he had entered Heaven, but when he wanted to turn back, the portal that connected to Hell had already disappeared.
—Shit, no, no, no —he said repeatedly at the same rate as his racing heart. Lucifer bit his lower lip having lost his only way out, he didn't know where to go next.
His eyes wandered to the large windows that completely covered one wall of the hallway, showing a beautiful panoramic view of what was the celestial kingdom. Lucifer was stunned by the sudden change of environment, since the colors of Hell had nothing to do with what he saw at that moment: large buildings with exquisite architecture, cheerful colors everywhere, a clear sky and a radiant sun that It bathed the entire city with the light of life.
This view was nothing like what he remembered, but it was certainly nice to see the progress that Heaven had made, it was nothing compared to the disaster that is Hell, which seemed to be composed only of trenches and battlefields, in addition to crazy people who lived among ruins and rubble. The conflicts that once shook the mortal world remained after death, being the complete opposite of the peacefulness in Heaven.
Lucifer had mixed feelings, The Heaven wouldn’t have changed at all if he had not interfered with the destiny of humanity. The endless suffering of mortal souls in Hell and the adaptation of Heaven was all because of him, everything around him was what arose from his actions. He swallowed nervously at such sudden thoughts.
Lost in his mind, Lucifer stood staring into the large crystals, unaware that a small silver sphere swung energetically beside him, longing to catch his attention. It wasn't until the ball of light made a loud noise, similar to that of a trumpet, that Lucifer jumped and turned in alarm towards where the sound came from. His demonic features came to light due to his defensive attitude, hiding again when he noticed that it was a simple sphere.
―What is it? ―Lucifer frowned as the sphere moved away down the hallway, giving small pauses to communicate with simple movements to follow him.
The ruler of Hell walked where he was led, leaving one hallway to enter another, following the light. It was a couple of laps around the celestial facilities, something that began to be tedious for Lucifer. He would complain if it weren't for the strange sensation that took over his body, feeling that something was wrong; No soul or entity had appeared since his journey began.
—Well, little being of light —Lucifer smiled at the sphere.— Do you know the reason why they asked me to come up? What they sent said that it was something urgent and confidential, enough to need the presence of the great king of Hell —He laughed as he puffed out his chest, trying to hide his nervousness.— They must all be in some kind of secret meeting? Is that why everything is deserted around here?
But the sphere did not respond, first of all, Lucifer was not sure that it could speak or if It was a thinking being. The light only guided him to a door in the deepest part of the facility, which revealed an endless staircase that led to a mysterious and underground place. Lucifer's hands sweated at the bad feeling and he exclaimed towards the sphere.
—Hey, you better tell me what's going on here or I- —Lucifer's every word was overshadowed by the loud boom of a trumpet, in the same way his vision was blinded with an explosive light coming from the sphere.
Lucifer screamed in surprise at being suddenly blinded and deafened, forcing him to retreat, not realizing that he was turning his back on the terrifying staircase. With one false step, Lucifer lost his balance and cursed between screams as he began to roll down the steps, hitting himself repeatedly without being able to stop.
It was a relief when he finally reached the end of the path, rolling a little further onto the solid ground and laying still, biting his lip as he endured the pain in his bruised body. His limbs did not obey him, they were injured enough to not be able to move. However, Lucifer forced himself to his feet, screaming in pain with each effort. He was really upset and indignant, but the shock was lessened when he realized where he had stopped.
A large hall with a fairly high ceiling, supported by countless marble pillars, illuminated by candles that descended in a spiral located in them. Some chandeliers hung in certain parts of the ceiling, strategically placed to illuminate every point of the place, which was just an empty big hall.
Lucifer felt very small inside that place, as well as stupid for ending up so easily in a situation that screamed danger. He didn't think twice and turned to leave, but the stairs he had come by were no longer there. He gulped as he realized he was screwed.
—No, no, no —he lamented in a low voice, walking with big steps to look for an exit, but he didn't go far until a cold voice reached his ears.
―I really didn't expect to have your presence at this meeting.
Lucifer stopped any movement, freezing in place and taking a firm stance in surprise. His eyes were fixed on a dead point, trembling as he refused to listen to the owner of that voice, who was behind him a few meters away. The blonde's skin crawled and his body began to tremble unnoticed, fighting not to expose himself.
—How can you have the audacity to set foot on holy land knowing the disasters you caused? —The voice was firm but delicate, trying to suppress an arrogant tone with feigned calm.
Giving a sigh, Lucifer turned around to face the one who called him. As a fallen angel exiled from Heaven, many events had marked him; too many beings were present in each of them. But above all things, he would never forget the owner of that voice, the one responsible for giving him the last blow and making him fall to the lowest point of existence, taking him out of the kingdom of Heaven.
Lucifer's ruby eyes made eye contact with piercing sapphire eyes. That moment shook both beings in a silent deja vu, briefly transporting them to the past. Lucifer clenched his fists, undecided what to do or say at the unreadable expression of the archangel Michael.
—How long, Michael… —he whispered after a few seconds of heavy silence, he didn't know how to react to the suspicious and tense situation.
—Answer my question —he insisted once Lucifer spoke. The suspicion in his voice was increasingly evident.
Lucifer made a complicated face at Michael's high guard. —The Heavens requested to see me to talk about important matters, that's all —he replied dryly, crossing his arms and turning away.
It was inevitable that Michael would raise an eyebrow when he saw Lucifer's determined stance. —Oh? Lucifer, king of Hell, you know perfectly well that you no longer have a say in Heaven. So why do you do something so ridiculous knowing your place?
—For your information, good little boy, I have been summoned here by Gabriel —he raised his voice a little more.
—Oh yeah? —A corner of his lip lifted slightly, mockingly—. Even so, with everything and invitation, you must be aware of your inferiority.
A twitch appeared in Lucifer's right eye. He inhaled and exhaled calmly, fighting not to throw himself at the archangel. —Yes, whatever you say. Isn't Gabriel around, or perhaps some being of real authority? I don't want to waste any more time with you.
—Do you really think you are that important? ―Michael disguised his fury with a mocking laugh, advancing towards Lucifer with dangerous steps.
—I am, but obviously Heaven doesn't consider it that way since they sent someone of lower rank to deal with me.
Michael's place within the hierarchy of Heaven was evident, he was always in a much higher position than Lucifer, but the current king of Hell knew how to hurt the archangel's pride: it was enough to bother him with comments that minimized the importance of the role of him. Even if everyone knew they were false comments, Michael would refute them out of pride. Lucifer laughed to himself knowing that the old tricks still worked.
—Did you really think that invitation was genuine?
Michael suddenly blurted out that comment due to his anger, somehow confirming Lucifer's suspicions. Frustration was reflected on the face of the fallen angel, something that did not go unnoticed by the archangel, who took advantage of the opportunity to benefit from the discussion and amend the extra words.
―Poor Lucifer, falling into such an obvious trap. Is your longing for Heaven so much that you never doubted it? I remember that you were a little smarter —the distance between them was getting shorter and shorter—. You didn't take a step back despite the strange way of bringing you here, with so much secrecy involved; Of course we are ashamed that the three kingdoms find out that we had contact with you, but in any case that is not our style to transport people to Heaven —a cruel smile adorned Michael's face, disappearing the elegance of his being—, you should be brought in a cage like a dog.
Lucifer's composure also disappeared in the face of Michael's provocations, he could not help fall at his words, it seemed that he had not changed either. His eyes turned an intense red as they fixed on Michael's figure, his demonic transformation manifested immediately; His three pairs of wings spread outrageously, causing a strong gust that blew out the nearby candles.
The archangel did not flinch despite feeling the evil energy meters away from him, accumulated in the imposing figure in the shadows. Michael made a face of repulsion when he saw what he had become, the one he once was, his brother. With a gesture, Michael summoned his sword and adopted a fighting stance. The archangel's sapphire eyes shone determinedly, holding his gaze to demonic eyes in the darkness.
―It seems like you want a second round.
—Let me go, you piece of shit —Lucifer shouted. Infernal flames escaped from his lips as he vociferated with his demonic voice—, or I will make this entire place fall.
—Does not suit you. If you do, they won't let you or your family out alive this time.
Infernal flames exploded on Lucifer's horns, the demonic energy he emanated became stronger with this, being his presence obvious. At the same time, the pillars and marble walls around them were surrounded by glowing symbols, revealing some sort of seal as Lucifer unleashed his power.
With this new image before him, Lucifer quickly analyzed what was happening, answering one of the many unknowns he had about the situation: Michael lured him to a hidden place with the purpose of locking him in a sealed room under some spell, which did not allow external beings to realize the possible fight that was about to take place. Outside the room, no one would know that good and evil were fighting for the second time.
Michael was going behind Heaven's back, but Lucifer didn't care if it was just a plot by a single archangel or the entire Heaven, he needed to find a way to escape. But when he was willing to dialogue, Michael released such a powerful state of divine power, which impacted against Lucifer's state of evil power. The demon king was forced to get into the fight, being taken by surprise as he did not expect Michael to unleash so much power instantly.
Was the seal around them so powerful to hide Michael's condition? Was he going to fight with everything he had, like on that occasion? Lucifer thought about it while he spat out some blood. If Heaven was destined not to notice this battle, then Lucifer was also not afraid to give it his all. He was no longer the same since the fall, his power had grown considerably since the source of his strength was tied to the most sinister and helpless place of existence.
—What is your reason for bringing me here?! —He snorted—, Just throw shit?!
Michael ground his teeth. —You have no idea how much hatred I have accumulated towards you in all these years. Over the centuries and centuries that I have observed the actions of humanity, it makes me regret not having made you disappear —His grip on his sword tightened, revealing veins on the back of his hand—. I cannot bear to see what our lord's creation has become thanks to your intervention. It's all your fault, giving them free will transformed a perfect creation into the worst disgrace the Heavens have ever seen!
—It seems that you have already forgotten, but I always made it clear that I had no bad intentions —Lucifer trembled slightly, resigned to the fact that Michael would not listen to anything he said like Heaven centuries ago—, what happened next has nothing to do with me anymore.
—Of course! Your actions were a chain reaction, everything went the wrong way —the blade of his sword began to gradually light up red hot, radiating heat―, the three kingdoms were destabilized, becoming something totally different from their initial purpose…
—So you think? Let me tell you that currently Heaven looks very beautiful, it seems to be the same place as always —there was mockery in his words—. I am very surprised that you have decided to adapt to humanity, since Heaven always wants to be in control of everything. I really thought they would force everyone to stay naked once they got here, you know, because of their characteristically conservative tradition-bound mind —he laughed—. They have to let mortals dress, otherwise they would look like perverts.
—Stop spouting crap! ―Michael shouted, throwing himself towards Lucifer without warning.
Suddenly, an explosion of flame erupted from the sword in the hands of the archangel Michael: the flaming sword had released the burning Heavenly fire. Lucifer had seen what that weapon was capable of, he knew how lethal a blow from that sword was; It was the fusion of Michael's impeccable sword technique and the powerful flames of the fierce archangel Uriel.
Lucifer dodged the attack by flying towards the ceiling. His feet landed on one of the pillars and he propelled himself forward, flapping his wings in Michael's direction, unleashing a strong burst of flames that the archangel stopped by splitting it in half with his sword. The clash between the fire of Hell and the fire of Heaven generated a blinding explosion that staggered Michael, forcing him to take a single step back, a small gap in his defense that Lucifer took advantage of.
A slippery tail wrapped around the archangel's ankle, taking him by surprise and not allowing him to react, since in a matter of blinking he made him lose his balance and he was thrown several meters away. A pillar shook and crumbled when Michael hit it. The entire place shook and the seal on the walls seemed to waver.
—That was easy… —Lucifer murmured, speaking too quickly.
With an explosion from the collapsing pillar, a swift sword flew towards the direction of the king, leaving a trail of fierce white flames in the air. Lucifer dodged the weapon thanks to his quick reflexes, feeling a short-lived relief at not being able to dodge Michael, who appeared in a second in front of him wearing a shiny, impeccable armor, as well as three pairs of wings extending majestically. When Lucifer least expected it, Michael hit him with a lethal kick right in the jaw, piercing his skin with the sharp golden sabaton of the armor.
The golden blood left a trace in the air when it was Lucifer's turn to be thrown away, a large crater formed as Lucifer hit the ground hard. The golden blood did not stop dripping, the loss of blood made him dizzy; The blows stunned him, leaving him temporarily immobile, but he still heard Michael's words in the distance.
—Things should not be as you see them now, —he said after recovering his sword—. My father was never able to start over and fix anything again, all thanks to your intervention.
—He couldn't fix it because... when he tried, —blood gushed from his mouth—, he looked like a monster before all mortals —Lucifer did his best to stand up—. A flood? Really?
Faced with the mockery, Michael attacked the demon king again, beating his sword in the air and throwing a wave of burning white flames at him, very difficult to dodge. Lucifer's vision was tinted by celestial fire, forcing him to act quickly before he was hit, turning into a small bird and hiding behind the nearest pillar. The flames shook that area of the great hall, causing the temperature to rise.
―What do you know about our father's decisions! ―Michael felt the bile reach his throat, he was very angry—. You were always so arrogant! So rebellious, believing that you understand and know everything. You have no idea about anything!
Michael spoke into the air, although he had no answer, he knew that it was difficult to kill someone like Lucifer, he was aware that his former brother was still alive in the rubble. The battle continued, because Lucifer still put up a fight, sending two pillars flying in Michael's direction, one followed by the other, in order to keep him occupied.
Lucifer was having a hard time continuing the fight, not for lack of strength, but of will, he didn't want to get into trouble that could drag his family down. He was extremely regretful for having gone to Heaven and fallen into a trap of his former brother. At that time he only longed to escape, but in all the fighting he did not find any way out.
Two pillars were nothing for Michael, his anger was still on the surface; Adrenaline pumped through his veins, urging him to continue the fight. Lucifer defended himself against each blow of the archangel and lashed out with equal force, using his energy in a constant power struggle. Between the exchange of fists, Michael managed to tear off one of Lucifer's wings, enraging the demon king. In a swift gesture, Lucifer transformed the lower part of his body into that of a horse and unleashed a powerful kick on Michael's chest, shattering his armor with the force of the blow.
Michael crashed to the ground, creating a second crater with his figure. Lucifer fell meters from the archangel, cracking the entire floor as he released what was left of his energy; the cracks lit up with the burning red of Hellfire, immediately giving way to tall flames that reacted to its power.
Watching the archangel squirm under the overwhelming evil energy was pleasing Lucifer, causing him to unintentionally let his guard down, which made him regret it the next second. His left shoulder burst into golden blood as the flaming sword pierced him without warning, causing great pain and burning that caused him to fall to his knees. The sword returned and maneuvered itself to slash across the demon king's wings, stabbing and tearing off part of them.
A golden puddle under Lucifer spread further with each attack. The edge of the sword cut mercilessly, seriously wounding him and making him scream heartbreakingly at the pain. The celestial energy began to suppress the demonic one with Lucifer subdued.
The red flames were extinguished by the white ones and Michael took advantage of the moment to throw himself towards the fallen angel, attacking him with his bare fists.
—You, really… —Michael spoke agitatedly, stopping beating Lucifer and now taking him by the neck— look how you ended up, what you've become, all for allying yourself with our father's first failed creation —voice became a threatening whisper—. That woman brainwashed you, she is to blame for how miserable you look now.
—Don't bring Lilith into this. —He took Michael's hands, digging his nails into his skin.
But the archangel continued to ignore him. —How pathetic, letting yourself be carried away by an inferior being. You don't know how repulsed it is to know that the worst shits in this world conceived a creature... May God protect us from such a disgusting creature.
Lucifer screamed at the anger that exploded inside him at the words directed at his daughter. He did not know where he got the strength from, but his body began to change, transforming into a terrifying snake of monstrous size, reaching up to the high ceiling of the room. Michael retreated several meters with the help of his wings, watching from below as the large animal hissed in his direction, totally furious with him.
—Just as I remember it. —Michael smiled maliciously.
Light began to emerge from the few standing pillars and, at the moment the great serpent threw itself at the archangel to devour him, multiple chains were thrown towards the creature, entangling itself in his body and forcing it to retreat. A huge shackle descended from the ceiling, capturing his neck and exerting great pressure, making him writhe in pain.
A powerful explosion of celestial power began to suppress Lucifer's. The links shone intensely with golden light, weakening the king with his power, subduing him by force, forcing him to return little by little to his original form. More shackles moved to secure Lucifer's ankles and wrists, stretching his limbs into the air, leaving him in a position that resembled a star.
Despite no longer having any strength, Lucifer struggled to free himself, causing the chains to pull harder, making him scream. His exhausted gaze stopped by chance at one of the pillars, being shocked when he noticed a third presence. His ruby gaze accidentally met that of a nervous saint, who quickly hid when he was noticed.
—Fucking apostle. —Lucifer muttered with a tired breath.
Although he didn't want it, Lucifer lowered his head as he felt weak. The chains shone brighter as they nullified his power, he couldn't do anything, he had lost again. He did not deign to look up when he heard the flapping of wings approaching in his direction, he did not look at Michael when he was in front of him.
—Why are you doing this? —He asked after a while of silence.
—Because I hate you.
—I just saw San Pedro hide like a scared bitch, obviously this isn't just because of your misunderstood feelings —he spat, finally raising his head—. What do you want?
Michael placed his hands behind his back, staring coldly at a helpless Lucifer. The archangel's face was once again the same as at the beginning of the meeting.
―In recent decades, humanity has acquired power over the Heaven. This one adapts to what mortals say and believe —he answered—. Humans believe so much what they themselves invent about Heaven, that they inevitably make it conform to their word. If they say that archangels are colorful mares with butterfly wings, we will become that, thanks to how convinced they will be of their own words. Your actions led to mortals having so much influence over Heaven, using stupid reasoning. What good is having a conscience if they use it in the worst way!
—So your fear is that they will transform you into a colorful mare with butterfly wings?
Lucifer was hit in the abdomen by Michael's fist, losing all his breath and vomiting a large amount of blood.
—You don't know how angry I feel every day I watch humanity crumble, knowing clearly that it was not meant to be that way —Michael continued, ignoring the fact that Lucifer was choking trying to breathe—. Mortals have tarnished God's name by doing terrible things in his name, claiming that our lord supports things they themselves invented. I cannot see how nefarious people use the name of Heaven to do cruel acts and deceive the innocent. All this has unleashed conflicts, wars, deaths... Situations that drag down good people who pay for the sins of others.
With the chains burning his skin and weakening him, Lucifer just stood silently watching Michael's dismayed face. The archangel's eyes tremble with helplessness, but Lucifer did nothing to console him, instead he wanted to complain to his former brother about the fact that he does not see the atrocities of Hell every day like him, but he chooses to remain silent.
He did not need Michael to describe human evil when Lucifer saw it every day, it was the main reason why he isolated himself in his workshop in recent years, fleeing from the rotten reality that surrounded him.
―There is nothing good in humanity, those who go to Heaven are disgusting souls who only managed to get here because a large number of people on earth think they are good people. Human vision is totally twisted, and every time I think about the root of the problem... —his eyes burned with rage— there you are.
—It's already clear to me with all the times you've said it already —Lucifer snorted—. You beat me up, just throw me into the abyss again.
Michael ignored him. ―You were warned not to approach humans and you couldn't follow something so simple. Was your thirst for rebellion so intense that it led you to defile the first two women?
—I've had enough of listening to you talk shit! —If it weren't for the power retained from him, Lucifer would have acquired his demonic appearance again—. What do you want to do with me?! You're going to kill me?!
―You are already used to observing what is the end of an evil soul; Your kingdom is Hell, I understand your place as the ruler of the nine rings —he turned his back on Lucifer—. However, one day I began to reflect more about you, analyzing you from another perspective; not as king of the abyss, but as Lucifer... And I realized that, you are ignorant of many things, you have never really seen how innocent lives suffer, only sinful ones.
—Where do you want to go? ―Lucifer asks, not understanding why Michael wasn't getting to the point.
—In Hell you only see sinful souls, but you have never witnessed the torments that lead them to that state —he finally turned to look at his face—. You don't know the desire to long to help someone and be unable to do anything… Lucifer Morningstar has not witnessed the true consequences of his actions, he has only witnessed the final stage of one side of the coin.
—Stop beating around the bush! —Lucifer's patience had run out.
Feeling his mouth dry from talking for a few minutes, Michael finally fell silent, his gaze going in a specific direction and then returning to Lucifer and snapping his fingers. With the sign, Saint Peter finally formally revealed his presence. The nervousness due to the situation could be clearly seen on the saint's face, but he took a deep breath and continued with the task he set out to do.
Saint Peter's hands joined together to begin a chain of rapid prayers, pronounced by himself. His voice echoed greatly in the crumbling hall, allowing for a similar grandiose Gregorian chant, capable of generating a chill in anyone who listened. With Peter's melody, the symbols on the walls and pillars flashed repeatedly violently; The chains radiated a much more blinding flash with the singing and Lucifer's shouting.
The characters on the pillars began to slide through the chains, reaching Lucifer's body and settling on his skin, crawling over him as if they were divine insects, causing severe burns. A great seal began to remove the demon king's strength, draining all his power as if hundreds of leeches were sucking everything he had.
—What the hell?!
—I feel that a more appropriate punishment for you is to experience what humanity truly is, that you measure it correctly and not from your room full of ducklings —Michael smiled macabrely, enjoying Lucifer's torture—. You are ignorant, but once you empathize with them, you will feel the true weight of your sin.
Divine symbols covered every part of Lucifer until they enclosed him in a large sphere made up of religious texts, recited with greater intensity by Saint Peter, whose voice trembled as he had to fight with the imprisoned energy of the demon king. The seal strengthened to the point of drowning out Lucifer's cries; only Michael, who had the keen hearing of a warrior, could perfectly hear the doubts mixed between fear and anger that his former brother screamed, demanding answers from the archangel.
—You still have the bad habit of not stopping asking questions. —He put his eyes white.
The sphere decreased in size, compressing the figure of Lucifer more and more. The chains added like a new layer of the seal, accelerating the shrinking process, until suddenly a loud “Boom!” It deafened Michael and forced Saint Peter to silence, sending them away as they were pushed by the strong explosion of divine energy. The place turned white for a few seconds and the few standing structures disintegrated in the blink of an eye.
Michael remained on the ground for a long time until the explosion and shaking disappeared. When he regained his senses of sight and hearing, he was greeted only by an image of the place completely destroyed and reduced to ashes: the clear scene of a violent battle.
—It worked? —Saint Peter, who was wounded next to him, asked in a barely audible tone of voice.
Standing up and adjusting his blonde hair, Michael inspected in all directions, analyzing every corner with a sharp gaze, without finding anything out of the ordinary, not even a trace of Lucifer's energy.
—It seems so... But I'm not really sure —he sighed exhausted—. Anyway, if it didn't work, what difference does it make? I'll save myself from “Revelation 12".
Those words only make Saint Peter feel anxious, beginning to reconsider whether it was a good idea to help the archangel.
—Shit, shit, shit —he grabbed strands of his hair in frustration—. We'll be in trouble if Heaven knows what we did. What if Sera finds out?!
—She doesn't have to —he cast a menacing look at Pedro, causing him to shrink in place—. Anyway, this is also something that could help test the hypothesis she formulated in the last meeting.
―B-But, what about Gabriel? ―Pedro couldn't stop being mortified, now starting to bite his nails― If she ever found out that we used his name for something like that.
—Something like what?
Both beings broke out in a cold sweat when a serene and seemingly calm voice spoke in their direction. Michael didn't have to look to know they were screwed, and he wished he could faint like Saint Peter did at that moment.