Back here again because there are people who still wanna read this. It even got 300 followers since the last chapter and broke through the 3k barrier when i'm not looking. Like wtf

I'm not saying i value numbers of followers like it's my holy grail. If i've only been writing for the numbers, then i've written a low effort gamer fic by now

I say this story is pretty much separated into two parts: one starts from the first chapter up to like… the 23th chapter or so. This portion of the story is cringe because it was written when i thought cringe was cool. The second part is these recent chapters, where i actually have learned to write shitposts

Good for you if you enjoyed both, of course. Subjectively, the earlier part of this story isn't great for me and makes me feel icky. But if you think they're aight, then… cool c:

And apparently someone made an eBook out of this and posted it on youtube. I dont' have any problem with it, i just think it's funny and mildly uncomfortable. At the very least you could've asked first, Mr. "Crossover What if's" with 10.1K subscribers :^(

I don't care tho so it's cool. Still, make sure you ask other authors. They probably do

Lucifer

Chapter XXVI

||Revelation||

It isn't rare for a Faction Leader to have their own version of mad dog. Someone who'd never shy away from a fight, loves to fight (optional), and is very talented at it. Not, mind you, their Number Two or second in command, though this 'title' wasn't exclusive. Their Enforcers, so to speak. They are who the Villains in movies send to annoy the Heroes if the Villain did not yet have the time to address the Hero personally, such as when their mother fell ill or when their dog needed to be taken for a walk.

For example; Sirzechs had Tannin at his disposal. Yes Tannin is a Dragon, but that's beside the point. Azazel had Benemune and Vali, though the latter was in his rebellious phase and likely had gone AWOL. Benemune herself was more of a cat person. Coincidentally, the electric-like Divine Power coating her body had formed her hair akin to cat ears as well as a tail on her rear. Michael had Uriel — though the de facto leader of Heaven would never describe his own brother as a 'mad dog'.

And the Abrahamic God had Helel.

Now Helel himself -now Lucifer-, however, as he realized long ago; might have taken the analogy quite literally as he instead got himself a unique dog that goes mad when hungry. He never regretted having them, though. Watching low-ranking Angels losing their minds whilst being chased was quite the amusing sight.

And he intended to get them back from these robed lunatics.

With a confident yet casual stride, Lucifer approached the giant three-headed canine, his coiled greatsword slung atop his shoulder to show he meant no harm. The Demon Dog of Hell still snapped their jaws at him, their big white sharp rows of murder teeth dripping with blood-colored acid.

Standing to its side was Katerea Leviathan, who had erected multiple barriers to protect herself. Lucifer briefly wondered if Leviathan would look good with glasses.

And why the hell was she wearing glasses? Devils had perfect 20/20 vision. Did somebody forget to eat their carrots?

Well… anyway…

"Evening, girls…" he greeted his enemies as though he was about to chat about the weather. "Remember me? I'm your professional headscritcher."

The giant canine growled and snapped at the air once again. Their snowy white furs were raised and frizzed up. Their hellish red eyes without pupils flared and their fangs were bared.

Something wasn't right with his girls and Lucifer did not like this one bit.

"What did you feed them with?" asked Lucifer, concerned, his tone growing just a little bit unpleasant, but still carried his usual charm and mocking eloquence. "You better have included chocolate in their diets and keep coffee out of it."

Katerea gritted her teeth. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her forehead. She had never heard of this person before and couldn't grasp a shred of Demonic Power from him, yet every fiber in her body kept ordering her to either run or surrender or die. And that sword he wielded; it must be a replica of the Great Archdevil's Cinder.

Another fake. What a surprise.

Meanwhile at the skies above, her small army was quickly obliterated by that pretender Sirzechs and Grigori's dog.

But no matter…

They were never here to kill these battlefield monsters. They were here to keep them here.

"Who are you?!" she demanded instead as she raised her hand, and concentrated her Demonic Power to summon a water serpent behind her back. The roar of a waterfall accompanied its grand entrance; bursting through the ground and soaring into the skies.

She watched him for his expression.

Instead of fear or at the very least, alarm, what she found instead was a smile.

The same kind of smile her father showed when she finally managed to summon her own Elemental. It was proud, it was genuine, and it was… indescribably somber?

Indeed it was, for Lucifer had been hit by a wave of nostalgia. All he could think of was how the late Leviathan's reaction to this. 'Look at this,' he wanted to say to her. 'This is your legacy.'

"Why… blimey," he then chuckled to himself as he lowered his weapon. It immediately put Katerea on high alert, but instead of brandishing it or adopting a stance, Lucifer let it stab the ground and let it serve him as a makeshift cane. "Am a slave to history, it seems," sighed Lucifer. "Take it easy, Leviathan. I'm not here to start a fight."

Cerberus' manic growl and the screams of the burning Nilrem Magiciansshifted into the background as Katera eyed him with suspicion.

"Oh but I do," she boasted. "I will bury you so deeply, the Earth will turn over a thousand time before your body is dug up."

"Hah! That's a good one!"

Katerea gnashed her own teeth. For her, descendant of the Leviathan, Ruler of the Seven Rivers of Hell, to be looked down upon by one ruffian who thought too highly of himself? How humiliating… and infuriating.

These Devils had been playing kings for far too long.

"I'll ask you again and I'll only ask you once… who. Are. You."

"I'm Lucifer. The one and only."

At that, Katerea began to chuckle. "Hah… haha… So… you mean to say, that not only did they have replicated his Unholiness' sword, they have chosen a fool to taint his name? This kind of slight is not one to be forgiven or buried by time."

Lucifer stared at her straight in her eyes.

"What?"

"They must pay…" she seethed, "we will make them pay… starting with you."

"Now, now let us not resort to our baser instinct and—" and Katerea unleashed her Sea Serpent and the Demon Hound, having heard enough of the fool's nonsense. " —oh bother."

Lucifer swore he wanted to de-escalate the situation, not the complete opposite. Maybe he should really consider changing his name again. People seemed to get very angry whenever he introduced himself.

Maybe John? In honor of his old pal? Perhaps adding a family name as well while he's at it? Smith sounded quite nice. Straightforward and sleek.

But for now, he was forced to brandish his curved greatsword. Its red glowing cinders blazed aflame as he threw it like a javelin, straight between the eyes of the incoming Sea Serpent, and pulverized it completely — much to the horror of the Devil.

Her ultimate magic. Vaporized in just a second.

And it seemed something in Cerberus had just clicked as they instinctively halted their advance, and glanced towards the flying flaming weapon, and stared at it for a complete two seconds, as though debating whether to fetch it and return it to their master. But the head in the center growled and snarled and barked, and the Demon Hound continued their charge.

They were closing in, but it gave Lucifer just enough time to decipher their Souls — another gift from Death himself. He counted one belirigent canine… which was to be expected. It was a dog with three head but one soul after all. but what were those… black rings around them? Donuts? No… donuts don't squiggle like that.

Snakes?

Were they being constricted by snakes?

Who had the bright idea to feed them worms?!

No wonder they were this angry!

Aggravated by the misfeeding of his pups, Lucifer recalled his weapon as the sword homed itself into his grip, and readied himself to strike. Cinder raged and seared, before it dimmed in color and intensity, like that of a setting sun. Then Lucifer lunged straight, thrusting the swirling blade through Cerberus' chest, directly at its heart, without leaving so much of a nick.

Three black cobras writhed and coiled as they were impaled by his sword, and they shrieked as they were reduced into ashes.

The Cerberus, realizing their prey had gone past them, clawed the ground as they turned around, still very much ready to have a quick snack.

"Heel," Lucifer commanded, and all their six red eyes broadened, caught by surprise as they skidded across the dirt, pulling their brakes until they stopped to a full halt, and sat on the ground.

Their eyes blinked separately in pairs as the heads on the sides stared confusedly at the center.

"Why did we stop?" the right one asked.

"...Master?" the middle head then spoke as all the heads tilted to different sides. Its voice sounded sinister, aptly suited to its appearance, yet it carried no hostility in it. Only hopeful uncertainty.

"Girls!" Lucifer's eyes lit up as he smiled brightly and opened his arms.

"""Master!""" the three heads cheered as the giant white dog hounded The Devil, tackling him to the ground. Its shaggy white tail wagged violently side to side as the three heads struggled against each other, each desperate to give him great wet licks.

Until they recalled they had an easier way to deal with this predicament.

"Not the face, not the hair! Definitely not the hair!"

A blast of white fog erupted from their body as they split. Returning to how they would look if the heads were each an individual Demon with their own body instead of one; young girls with pale ivory skin, long flowing ashen white hair, a pair of wolf-like ears and bushy white tail not that dissimilar to a Siberian Huskies'.

Each of them, as were all of his previous followers before his 'demise', wore form-fitting formalwear in their humanoid form. A standard for all his former employees. Their arms were covered by red button-up long-sleeved shirts under black suit vests, and their hands hidden under black leather gloves. A black tie was tucked between the shirt and the vest. Charcoal slim fit suit pants and thigh-high boots completed their formal look.

And they wasted no time in coddling their long-lost master, hugging him, essentially dogpilling him, having no care that there was still a battle raging on top of their heads. Why should they care about battle anyway? Lucifer is right here!

"Lucy!" one of the 'girls' said. "We missed you!" the other completed. "Lots!" then said the third. Always in that order. It was hard to tell the difference between these three. Physically, they were perfectly identical. Their personalities, however, differed slightly to one another.

Alpha, the leader, was braver and sparky. She was the first to eat a meal and always the one who led the other two, as well as the one currently smushing her cheek against his while rubbing it at the same time to leave her scent.

Beta, the right head, was the sly one. Spirited to a fault and always looking for 'fun' things to do and the easiest to get distracted. Always the last to fall asleep. 'She' was also the Cerberus who hogged the left part of her body, hugging his arm and placing it between her ears so she could be stroked.

Delta, the left head, was the shyest of the triplets, though she wasn't exactly shy by definition. Her voice was the quietest one, albeit not quiet by any means. She'd get rowdy like her 'sisters', and would also chase someone around as they would, and would then stop because she saw a butterfly or a squirrel — but Delta was the calmest of the litter, as well as the most honest to her emotions. The most prone to zone out and stare off into spaces.

And still no one in Hell could tell which one's which aside from, of course, Lucifer himself.

Meanwhile, one particular Devil had sunken to her knees, only able to stare at the sight before her in complete disbelief. Her army had been destroyed in a matter of minutes instead of an hour she had hoped. That Dhampir boy was in the enemy's hands… Her strongest attack meant nothing even to this person. And now, their very own monster who had been enhanced by Ophis snakes, had not only been pacified but seemed to have taken a liking to their enemy. Without any hope for reinforcement, she knew all was lost.

"We missed you!" Delta suddenly howled, starting the waterworks, "we waited for so long!"

And when one Cerberus cried, the others began to follow.

"Where did you go?!" Alpha whined, crying like a child. "You said you'd be back!"

"Well… Here I am now," Lucifer sheepishly said, doing his best to distribute pat to the three of them. "I'm sorry girls. Something came up. I got busy. What have you been doing when I'm away?"

A question to which they answered in unison, """Wait for you to come home!"""

Lucifer melted. "Aww… I'm sorry. Hey, enough with the tears. Don't smear my suit. That's why I told you to always carry your own handkerchief, yes?"

"Yes…" Beta nodded, pulling out a black and red handkerchief out of her pant's pocket as the two other did the same, and blew their nose. "We remember," she sniffled. "Until we forgot," she then added. "...And where are we?"

She brought her head up and looked around, sniffing the air whilst still crying a bit.

"Hm? Where is this place?" the Alpha perked up as well, cheek still smushed. "Who are these people?"

"Damnation?" Delta asked, once again sniffing the air. "No. Not enough fire and screaming souls."

"Enough blood, however," Beta continued, grinning a bloodthirsty grin all of a sudden, eyeing her sight on the bodies scattered around. "We hunger… Let us feast, Master."

"So you're not aware why you're brought here, hm?"

"Nope," Alpha replied as Beta sang a tune with 'nopety-nopity-nope' as its only lyrics, with Delta shaking her head with the beat.

"I see…" Lucifer darkly muttered, turning his attention to the Leviathan. "Go on then girls… Fill your stomach. Don't eat anyone who's alive, however."

"Does that mean we must kill them first?"

"No! Don't eat them as in don't eat them!"

The Cerberuses whined, flattening their ears.

"What about those who are bound to die within seconds? Who is beyond all hope of recovery?"

"Those ones you can eat."

"""Yaaay~! Fresh FLESH!""" cheered the Triple Demon, who then fused their body back into a hound, and proceeded to devour the remains and what was left of the Nilrem Magicians.

"Ah… forever adorable," Lucifer muttered to himself, not at all bothered by the hound's shift in tone and obvious sadistic trait as they toyed with a magician that was barely alive. They swatted her mangled body to the sky before chomping down on her in one bite.

"Now then…" moving on to the next matter, Lucifer rose to his feet and dusted the back of his pants and top. His greatsword had been standing idly by the ground on its own when he was hounded by the pups, but now it returned to his hand, ready to serve.

"I believe you," he pointed to the dark-skinned woman before him, "have some explanations to do, young lady."

"Wh…who are you…?"

Lucifer lowered his brows, rolled his eyes, and sighed. "Oh ye of little faith. I'm Lucifer. My answer will remain the same no matter how many times you ask. Provided I don't add any flair or sarcasm, that is. It's quite tiresome to be accused of lying."

"But!" Lucifer continued his rant before Katerea could call out his 'lies' again. "Seeing is believing, and believing is knowing, and knowing beats unknowing… Tell me then. What will make anyone believe that I am indeed Lucifer?"

Katerea gulped a breath. "Y…your house crest."

His what? "...House crest?"

"One that appears in your magic circle… Any Devils from the Pillars have their own."

"And I have one?" Lucifer bunched up his brown eyebrows. "That's the first time I've heard of this. Since when is this a thing?"

"..." This man couldn't possibly be a Lucifer. His hair wasn't white and his eyes were brown. She couldn't see any hints of Rizevim on him, especially with that hairstyle of his. He might just well be another freak Super Devil like Sirzechs and that Lucifuge betrayer.

"What about another one, eh?" he said as he leaned on his sword, currently lodged in the ground. Again. "Let's see here… what is it that makes me me…?"

As he pondered about his identity, Katerea stole a glance at his weapon. The coiled steel bathed with cinders and ashes… though she had never seen one herself, it matched the illustrations in history books. It was believed that if you were close enough, you'd hear the voices of the damned — the wailing of those that he had slain, forever trapped in that great weapon, never able to move on to the Afterlife.

Katerea quieted and listened, expecting nothing.

And yet she heard their cries.

Millions screamed at her.

She shuddered that instant and gasped.

The other Devils and important beings from the Three Factions had begun to approach them, with the intention of putting her to chains no doubt in their mind. At this point, Katerea had nowhere to run and no hope of fighting back without losing her life. Attacking them in desperation would warrant her death sentence, but it would be the correct decision. She was prepared and she knew it was part of the grand plan.

If he wasn't here.

Katerea, like her ancestors before her, knelt down before him. She lowered herself before her one true king and the Ruler of Hell.

Avoiding his eyes, keeping her sight straight on the ground, she whispered, "My King…"

Lucifer grinned and realized. Cinder had never failed him.

"Rise, I am no king," he told her. "Why don't we have a chat about all this mess, hm? With tea and biscuits. There appears to be plenty of catching up for me to do…"

Break

The Leaders returned to their meeting place, located at the second floor of the old school building, last hallway to the right. But only the Faction Leaders and Lucifer and Katerea this time. With her belief in Lucifer, her interrogation couldn't have gone any smoother. Every question regarding the Khaos Brigade was replied with detailed answers, and Katerea spared no words in her answers and had swallowed all her pride.

Lucifer was quite literally a godsend, Azazel thought. They couldn't possibly get this much info in a single day even if they captured her. The Leviathan despised the Satans with all her guts and he wouldn't be surprised if she was planning to off herself somehow. Drowning herself, probably. If Leviathans could be drowned.

That thing he did there was impressive too. Not the piercing a Sea Serpent part — that only impressed those two girls — but the Cerberus bit. He'd never seen that kind of trick before… It seemed The Devil still had few tricks up his sleeves.

"Ophis, eh…?" the Governor muttered, stroking his bearded chin. "Her presence might complicate things… Loki as well but… I'm not really surprised the Trickster God wanted a role in all this. But Ophis?"

"She's merely a figurehead," Katerea said. "It was Shalba who coerced her. She wished to reclaim the Dimensional Gap as her own domain again; by slaying the Great Red. This, of course… isn't a part of our goal."

"So you're just selling her lies. Huh… for the Infinite, she's kinda stupid isn't she."

"..." Katerea wasn't sure what to say to that.

"I guess that's what happens when you live on your own for too long," Azazel shrugged. As did Sirzechs. Lucifer, meanwhile, wondered who the hell was Ophis.

"How sad… To be given false promises… Perhaps we can convince her otherwise?"

"Perhaps. But if she's that simple-minded, then I doubt she's willing to settle for less. But I guess we'll have to see."

Lucifer, meanwhile, wondered who the hell was Ophis. But most importantly; "Shalba?"

"S-Shalba Beelzebub, my lord…" she sweated. In her conscience, she was guilty for trying to take Lucifer's life. Her only penalty was death.

"Huh," Lucifer crossed his hands. "Who else is there? Any Asmodeus?"

Katerea nodded. "Creuserey. Creuserey Asmodeus…"

"Any others?"

"None others," she said apologetically, as if it was her fault that most of their families had perished. "I-it shames me to admit, but we were soundly defeated during the Civil War."

"The Civil War, riight…" even the words still tasted like ash in his tongue. Lucifer glanced at Sirzechs to ask, "What's the cause again?"

"Th-there were disagreements regarding… regarding the Old Satans and the pretender—"

"Hey now. We've gone through this once and we're not doing this again; Sirzechs is a legitimate Satan, as well as the three others," whose name he had sort of forgotten and therefore didn't mention. "Their interest lines with mine. By helping them, you are thereby serving me as well."

"Y-yes… of course…" Katerea quickly lowered her head. Azazel smirked but kept his quiet. Lucifer had undoubtedly made her a hundred times easier to handle just by being here. "M-my apologies, my lord…"

"And quit calling me 'lord'. Lords have castles and land. I don't even own a house."

"W-we'll build you one as soon as we've finished here, Lucifer…" Sirzechs said nervously despite Lucifer's joking tone. He had been all too focused on Hell's current affairs to remind himself that Lucifer was still basically homeless. "Just give me a day and I'll sort it out."

"Hey, take it easy. I didn't mean it that way."

"Still, granting you a house is nothing. I've been longing to give Rias a better place to rest than this school for so long… but she keeps refusing. With you, however…"

"Ah. I see," Lucifer grinned and sniggered. "You want to use me as an intermediary in order for you to pamper your sister?"

Sirzechs smiled gingerly. "If you could please."

"Of course, of course. Make sure it has a minibar, yes?"

"Did somebody say minibar?" the Governor chimed in. "That sounds like a great idea. We can chill there and banter about when we didn't have to save our worlds. I'll pitch in with my own drinks, obviously."

"Ah! What an excellent idea!" Lucifer clapped once.

"A casual meeting spot hmm…?" Sirzechs considered. "...I've no doubt it would benefit our relationships greatly… Strengthen our trust in each other… Setting it on the overworld means I can visit Rias as an excuse. I don't see why not."

"Excellent. About time we drink again," Azazel slapped Lucifer's arm. "You have to try out my Jager Bomb, among all others."

Noting that the conversation had been steered off the road, Michael cleared his throat. "Gentlemen… I understand your eagerness and passion. And as much as I appreciate your desire to strengthen our bonds, I must ask you to remain focused with our current predicament."

Gabriel was equally as troubled. In one part, she didn't want to be a bother to her dear brother, but on the other hand, she wanted to ensure this situation wasn't taken lightly. The world's peace was under a great threat. How could they still smile and joke around? Or perhaps it was her who was too earnest?

But the two alcohol-appreciators quickly reminded themselves thanks to Michael.

"Oh right, right," Lucifer said while Azazel skimmed away with a shrug. "Katey," he began to the Devil sitting before him, who straightened her posture immediately, "what were you saying again about the Civil War?"

"Y-yes," Katerea stammered. "Our parents believed that the Devils had strayed too far from the teachings of the Old Satans. We have— had the strength to avenge their deaths, and yet they chose to do nothing and remain content with their lives."

"What kind of traditions?"

"Humans," Katerea spat. "They… they're converting them to become Devils. Don't they realize they threaten the purity of our bloodline? They will have children of their own, and their children as well. And now they plan to allow these apes to own their own Peerages?! We fear that… if this isn't contained, they will soon outnumber us, and they will replace us as a race."

"And why's that a bad thing? More of us and more for us. They work and give their life for us anyway, provided they don't go astray— in which case a trial is in order. At worst; they'll hang. Am I right this far, Sirzechs?"

"You're on point."

"Good," Lucifer nodded. "Correct me if I'm wrong, you hear? I'm still very much a greenhorn in this subject," and he faced Katerea again, who, for once, was not convinced and still very much stubborn. "Not to mention; Dad cursed us with the inability to reproduce as easily, mind you. That old coot might be away, but his words last for eternity. Besides, my dear, we weren't always Devils. We used to have pretty white wings."

"B-but… my King—"

"And purity? Purity is simply a no-go. Humans, Vampires… Valkyries or… any other races or species; once they have chosen to serve us they are one of us. You must first understand that while it is true they don't often have a choice on the matter - as I believe Reincarnation often occurs after they've met their demise - they must be willing to first leave their past life behind. Surely you remember the 72 Angels that came along with me and your ancestors. They abandoned all the comfort and their easy life in Heaven to follow me. I had nothing at that time. Other than my guile and wit, that is."

Both Gabriel and Michael shuffled awkwardly upon hearing that. Azazel was the only one who didn't feel any guilt. Why? Because it was after Helel's banishment that he started to sow his own seed of doubts. Why shouldn't Angels love freely and do fun, human things? Why couldn't they have as much fun as the humans do?

"...I… y-yes… my apologies…" Katerea lowered her head in shame again. "I was… merely keeping the future of Devilkind as my best interest…"

"Mhmm. And you did so by starting a rebellion that in result wiped most of the people you led, yes?"

Katerea clenched her fists, tightening her lips, unable to reply.

A sigh was then heard. "And I thought you'd know better. Let me tell you something about our own rebellion. Why do you think we started the Great War in the first place?"

"...T-to… retake Heaven? To invade Earth? So you may start your conquest over the world? A-at least that is what our fathers before us believed…"

The Satan, Archangels and the Governor leaned in to listen. They had their own theories and speculations, but this time they were about to confirm the truth from the Devil himself.

"Wrong," Lucifer chided. "Partially. We did initially target Heaven, but that's because Hell back then was a barren, desolate piece of land. Nothing there you can cultivate. Hunting Demons were easy, but as our numbers grew, so did our necessities. So, really, we started the war for the good of our people. All we wanted was a new place. Humans were granted Earth despite their sins — but fair enough. They have always been Dad's favorite monkeys."

"...Aye… that I agree with," Azazel added. "Making Sacred Gears exclusive for them only? Relics with God-slaying potential? How is that fair?"

"...He works in a mysterious way," Michael spoke in an attempt to defend His name.

"No. He's biased. That's all there is to it," Lucifer griped. "Humans were naturally weaker and perhaps the weakest. They're his youngest child he couldn't resist spoiling."

'And look at where it brought you now, Dad? Drowning your sorrows away because you can't admit that they've become the gremlins they are.'

"Your jealousy is showing again, Brother."

"Jealousy…?" Lucifer nearly snapped then. If Michael was any of the others, then Lucifer would have considered embedding Cinder through his face. "It wasn't jealousy, it was confusion. Confusion and bewilderment as to why he gave up so many for these arrogant primates, gave them so many chances to simply be good to each other, and wasted so many worries, and on the same bipedal monsters who crucified his own son."

"...I thought you hated that bloke, to be honest."

"You mean Josh?" Lucifer turned to Azazel. "Joshua?"

"Joshua… Jesus… Jehovah. You know who."

"Hate him…? I loved him. As if he was my own brother," The Devil replied, vehement. "He was good. He was kind. He never cared if I was who I was — he never judged. He was what humanity could become if they aren't so damned rotten. Yet in the end; he was a lamb for slaughter."

"He was sent to this world for a noble purpose, Brother," Michael assured. "It was a beautiful sacrifice—"

"Sacrifice—" Lucifer couldn't believe the bullshit he just heard. "Mikey, Mikey… Oh Mikey… If you have the faintest idea… of how helpless it feels… to see a close friend of yours, sobbing alone by his own because he knew of his fate, and you couldn't do anything but watch because no matter how persuasive you are, there's nothing he could do? Even if he didn't want to? But he couldn't oppose his dad because that old man just had to give humanity another kind of salvation?"

"He knew his purpose."

"Didn't make dying any easier, did it?" Lucifer countered. "You saw how he wept in that garden. Alone. He was shedding bloody tears."

"It was His will."

"...This is the problem with you Angels — you're so bloody detached. Robots have more feelings than you. Any kind of sacrifice is fine as long as it's for 'the greater good."

"Father also sent an Angel to comfort him and give him strength, Brother, if you didn't notice."

"Of course I noticed — that Angel was me, you psycho!" Lucifer spat. "You all treated him like he's a sacrifice from the moment he was born. That's all you saw him as. But he was my friend goddammit, and his own father sentenced him to die. I had to watch him carry that cross and be mocked by the very people he was saving. I've never wanted to kill if it's unnecessary, but that day? I considered Armageddon, Brother."

Lucifer then scoffed, and took a deep breath once he realized what he had said and what he might have revealed.

"...Brother… I— I'm sorry… I… I never knew…"

"Of course you didn't, Abby. I'm the Devil," Lucifer sighed, now feeling a bit of remorse because his sister started crying. "Ahh, come now," he ushered her into his arms. "It was all in the past. It's good to settle our bad blood. It's healthy for this… alliance thing."

"...I… I apologize as well, Lucifer," Michael admitted, albeit awkwardly. "...I simply couldn't stand around while you—"

"I know, I know. You don't want anyone to speak disparagingly about Dad," Lucifer interrupted. He had a hunch that if Michael continued his words; he'd get pissed off again. "...Where were we again…? Ah yes… concerning humans…"

Once again, Lucifer turned to their interrogatee, who, along with Sirzechs, had been feeling quite awkward after witnessing the sibling's argument.

"So. Anyway, you heard how much he valued their life…" Lucifer grinned then as he continued, "Name me one better way to make him eat his words by turning them to our side. His favorite creations; loyal to his enemy. Former enemy, but you see my point, yes?"

Katerea's eyes broadened as she achieved this new realization. "I… I see!"

"Riiiight?" Lucifer himself was all too pleased as well. Same couldn't be said for the Archangels, however. Azazel was at least amused about it. "Imagine converting his strongest pets to fight for you; the humans possessing those shiny toys. And not through blackmail or threats, but through your carefully-crafted persuasion…" his grin grew wider and worrisome for those that weren't Devils. "...I shudder at the thought alone…"

"L-Lucifer… I do pray you don't intend to convert our warriors."

"Oh? But why not?" Lucifer smiled at Michael. "They will still fight for the sake of peace… Only under a different banner. And if they were so easily coerced, then certainly you aren't deluded to think their cause is genuine. After all, I tell no lies, Mikey… If their 'hearts' are in the right place and they believe their cause is just; then what is there for you to be concerned about? Don't you believe in their capacity to do good for the sake of goodness alone?"

"As long as you let us borrow them to better understand their Sacred Gears in the name of science — I don't see why not," Azazel pitched in. "As long as there's no foul play involved, I'd think it's fair play. It is what we have been doing since the past anyway, to wrestle these Sacred Gears processors like rabid dogs. Now we can do it more peacefully. It's a good thing right? Eh, Mikey?"

"Ah… but of course…" Lucifer grinned. "Sharing is caring, no?"

Michael, at this moment, had begun to think whether this alliance was a wise move. Unluckily, for him, these were the terms the Devils were after. Yes, peace was their main priority… But they never agreed upon this particular term.

And Heaven was once again too blind to see that until it was right in front of them.

"But don't worry, Little Mikey. There's always good people. People who'll serve you better than they can serve us. Those people are yours to keep and raise — we won't interfere."

"I… I must discuss this with the others first, I'm afraid."

"Discuss? No, no… there's no discussion. The decision has already been made two days ago, remember? 'We will support each other… to the best of our abilities, and cooperate with one another to further bolster our strength in the face of imminent chaos'. Was that right?"

"Letter to letter, Lucifer," Sirzechs confirmed. "We swore an oath to protect each other, Archangel Michael. Despite their… phrasings, we, the Devils will never intend to harm our new ally. The progress and advancement we made so far will still be shared with the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words; they're just teasing you."

"...Ah… I see…" Michael muttered, gently smiling. "Haha, you had me worried then. I apologize; the ability to discern humor isn't our strongest suit."

Indeed. They were simply messing about with him.

For the most part, that is. Lucifer would still make it his side job to try and convert every Sacred Gear wielder he encountered. That Dhampir they captured earlier should be a good start. Time-stopping… Limited as it was, it would still be a pretty handy ability to copy.

Once he secured the boy, all he had to do was wait for Azazel and his tampering and the deciphering of the formula behind that ability, and see for himself whether he could replicate its ability with Death's Gift.

"With that in mind…" Sirzechs folded his hands. "How did you get the Dhampir, Gasper Vladi? Are you backed by the Vampire Clans? Did they finally settle their dispute?"

Katerea perked up, attentive, and bit her pride because she had to be speaking to the fake Lucifer instead of the true one. "They're still in strife with each other," she began, "but just recently, the Tepes Faction began to rely on the Longinus owned by their King's Dhampir daughter, Valerie Tepes, monitored and aided by his son, Marius Tepes. They're using the Holy Grail to rid their vampiric weaknesses."

"Out of all the Longinus, of course it has to be the undead who gets the one that can revive people," Azazel sighed. "What's the matter with your distribution here?"

"It's nearly impossible to maintain and understand the complexity of the System our Father has created, Azazel. Ever since His departure, we have been steadily losing our grip. I'm certain you would have noticed."

"I did. I just thought you people got careless."

"But still…" Michael continued, looking perturbed with his hand cupping his own smooth chin. "Only those who are good may be blessed by these Artifacts…"

"Anyone who is capable of good is capable of evil too; that's why they have free will."

"True, but it is basic human nature to be wanting to do good unto others."

"As well as self-preservation," Azazel countered.

"Alas… different upbringing builds different characters."

"So it seems," Lucifer exhaled. "Go on with your story then."

"Certainly, my King," Katerea humbly curtsied. "Without Lord Tepes' knowledge, however, his son is the one who sought us. Once their victory is assured and the Tepes Faction control the Vampires, Marius intends to assassinate the king and claim the seat of power for himself. According to him, Valerie has been weakened by her constant use of the Grail, and he feared the Vampires they've enhanced with its power might become something more than they can handle."

"And in exchange for clean assassination and safety net, he lent you Gasper Vladi."

"As well as his force after the conflict; yes."

"Crafty little bastard…" Lucifer muttered. But his tone was not that of anger, but instead one of mild surprise. "He could be useful for us with that kind of mind."

"B-brother? Surely you don't—"

"No, no. Don't worry sister. We can't have these kinds of people. They aim for power and power only."

"We already have plenty around in the Council…" Sirzechs sighed to himself. "So Marius… Diodora, Ophis, and Loki. Diodora is ours to deal with, Ophis aren't yet a certain enemy, while Loki is… Well. Loki. I doubt the Vampire will believe any of us regardless of who we send, unfortunately. Even if we send her as well."

"True," Azazel scratched the back of his head and fixed his golden bangs. "Unless they come to see us on their own and request our help; our hands are tied. Hell, I won't be surprised if they think we want to encroach on their territory. They're really not the trusting kind."

"...But… we know of their plan. He must be stopped. Is there really nothing we can do?"

"Nope. At least not this instant, Gabriel," Azazel said. "Sorry, but that's politics for you. It's simple things made complicated so the common people don't get interested in it."

"There is something we can do, however. Gasper Vladi is with us, no?" Sirzechs pointed out.

"Sure, but we can't be sure if that boy is not in on it."

"I can assure you that the Dhampir hasn't the faintest idea of Marius' plot," Katerea said. "He's… not that bright, so to speak. He believes that by aiding us, we may be of help to Valerie's declining health. This too… of course, is nothing but a lie."

"The poor soul… he was so terrified as well when he was captured," Gabriel whispered sadly. "He is quite exhausted as well, from what I've seen."

"Like the others, he was fed with Ophis' snakes to enhance the potency of his Sacred Gear. It's… evidently not enough, as you may have noticed. He has only recently awakened his power."

"Yea I figured that'd be the case," Azazel added.

"You have heard of him before, Azazel?" Asked Michael.

"Uh-huh. He was on the run from the Vampire Hunters. The Tepes got to him before we did and the rest is history. You might want to take care of his snakes like you did with your doggies, Loosh."

"Yeah, sure. No problem."

"Let's put aside the Vampires for now…" Sirzechs suggested as he placed a leg above a knee. At least for the time being, the Khaos Brigade had yet to gain significant influence over these Vampires. "What about Rizevim? Did you make any contact with him?"

"Rizevim Livan Lucifer…?" Katerea made sure, and Sirzechs gave her a nod. "We have tried to recruit him, but he told us he has no interest in our cause."

"Is that so…? Odd… Grayfia mentioned faint traces of Nordic magic being detected from his castle. On multiple occasions as well, might I add. I suspected Loki to be his accomplice… but… Are you certain that the Devils in the current Pillars that are backing the Brigade are only the ones you mentioned earlier?"

"I've spoken nothing but the truth I know, what more do you ask?"

"She's not lying," Lucifer said. "If there are more, then she doesn't know, or Loki's hiding it from him. Besides! It's Loki! Who's to say he's not just trying to stir some mayhem? He's the kind of God who plays on both sides; or add in his own for all we know. One thing we can be sure of; is that he's in it for himself."

"Bah. He's been this way since Ragnarok," Azazel grumbled. "Remember that time, Loosh? Crazy bastard is willing to burn his own home just so he could rule over the ashes."

"Ergh… of course… My memory's rather blurred though, and it hurts whenever I try to remember."

"Really? Might want to get that checked."

"I've had enough people trying to fix my life, thank you very much."

"Just a thought," Azazel shrugged without guilt. "Anyway… Who else is there? Any other influential players? Maybe someone from the Yōkai… other Pantheons? Hades? What about Hades. You got Cerberus from him, no?"

"Yes, but his only demand is to not be a part of it."

"Thought so," Lucifer hummed.

Katerea continued, "Loki and Ophis are the only Deities supporting us. He provides us with intelligence from the Devils, while Ophis provides us with her snakes. As to how he managed to coerce a portion of your Pillars, he kept that detail hidden from us."

"Bribes. Promises of position of power. Influence in Asgard," Sirzechs speculated. "Diodora is a surprise… though not unexpected. She mentioned his 'friends' names as well… Those were the people that demanded the incident to be swept under the rug."

"Incident…?" a softly-spoken word was said with rising anger. "Dozens of nuns kidnapped and raped, and you call it an incident?"

"A figure of speech, dear sister," Lucifer intermediated, a bit surprised to see his baby sister this angry. "Easy now. He doesn't mean ill."

"I'm sorry," Sirzechs immediately said. "Poor choice of words on my part."

"I mean, they're not the only one that sheltered rapists."

"Really, Zazel? Really?"

"What? It's true."

"The Catholic Church, I presume…" It was Michael who sighed drearily, as if all his strength was suddenly leaving his body. "It's… disgusting, yes. They have always been rather… troublesome… Compared to the other two. But I have full faith in Jorge Mario Bergoglio. It will be slow, but I'm certain he will leave a significant impact as a Pope."

"I'd hope so," Lucifer said noncommittally. He never heard about this person before, but if he had the full confidence of Michael and Gabriel, then he couldn't be horrible. Still, once again, they have been sidetracked.

"Th-that reminds me," but it was Katerea who steered the train back to the right track. She appeared visibly distraught with what she was about to say. "I was here as a decoy for a subfaction of the Brigade; the Hero Faction. As we—"

"Hero Faction?"

"Must be those Sacred Gear numbnuts…" Azazel said. Katerea's nod confirmed his guess. "Cao Cao and his band of cronies. Ah jeez… I met those people before. They think they're the big damn heroes or something. I didn't think they'd latch themselves with you lot."

"It's only because we provided the means to their goal. As we speak, I believe they are already invading Old Kyoto."

"They what?!" Sirzechs stood up from his chair, surprising the rest because of his sudden outburst. "What are they planning to do?"

"As I recall; to unleash Yasaka's power in order to create a Dragon Gate, to summon Great Red himself. Their goal is to bring down the Apocalyptic Dragon and… therefore ensuring the safety of humanity. We don't care about this, of course."

That little tidbit at the end earned her the Archangels' muted frown and look of disapproval. Lucifer thought it was funny.

"What?!" Suddenly, a table was slammed. Again. "Are they insane?! They'll bring the entire Kyoto to ruins!"

"Which is the Brigade's goal… Loki informed that the Underworld have been attempting to negotiate a certain deal. That's what we intended to stop."

"Whoa, what's up with you, Zechs?" Azazel asked, concerned but mostly confused. "Never thought you'd get this worked up."

"Serafall is in there!"

"Ah… Yeah that explains it."

'...Who's Serafall?' was what Lucifer wanted to ask but didn't because he didn't think it was the right moment. Guessing from Sirzechs' panic, however, Lucifer guessed she might be his sweetheart or something like that. Or just a very close friend.

"The Hexennacht is supporting them. They're not there to stay and fight Great Red, rather, their objective is to stall any outsiders, such as help from the Underworld, while the Heroes infuse Yasaka with Ophis' snake, to overload her powers and… somehow use her as a catalyst to summon the Dragon Gate. I-I'm sorry, I was not entirely certain of their plan. I… er… I thought it was too foolish to pay any attention..."

"It is braindead, yes," Azazel could agree with that.

"Well what are we waiting for then?" Lucifer stood up. "The night is young still. We'll get in there and kick them out. Potentially gaining ourselves several new hostages."

"I agree," Michael said with conviction. "Our ally is in danger. I'll dispatch Dulio and Griselda there, as well as myself."

"I'll go too," Gabriel joined, standing up as her long wavy blonde hair flounced.

"Wh-hoa there. I get that you're all worked up about this, but we have Gasper and this person here to take care first. You need to report to the Great King, I believe, and we'll need to forge a plan to deal with those Devils she mentioned. As well as—"

Sirzechs spoke up before Azazel could complete his lines. "Grayfia will escort her… And… you're right. Acting rash will only give the Councils the opportunity to question my judgment as a Satan…"

"Exactly my point. This isn't the age where kings lead armies anymore. It's Great Red and not a bunch of magical people in silly looking hats that are attacking, but Great Red, and a potentially berserked Nine Tails we cannot kill or harm. So you're immediately out of this, Zechs. You're great at destroying things, that I have no doubt in."

"...Unfortunately so… But I will step in if it worsens."

"And you two are not going to go because you're all important people. It's not the medieval age when kings led armies. If things go south, what then?"

"He's got a point, y'know," Lucifer chipped in. "Not to mention there might be other distractions. You worry about dealing with our future enemies; the mages, Loki and whatnots. Angels are more trustworthy than us, so you two are better off making plans and packing up to go to Asgard. I'll tag along with Rossweisse, of course… once I finish dealing with the uh… one giant lizard and fox."

"But… alone?" Gabriel voiced her biggest concern. "

"Benemune can go with him," Azazel shrugged. "Do you know where Old Kyoto is, Loosh?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Lucifer answered confidently.

There was a moment of absolute silence.

"She'll go," Azazel decided. "She'll take you there."

"I'll task Tannin and Grayfia as well," Sirzechs said. He had no doubt of Lucifer's abilities. "I'm once again in your debt, Lucifer."

"Well… you did promise me a house so I suppose it's only fair to call it even."

"B-before you go, my King—" Katerea managed, "I must warn you that their leader, Cao Cao, holds the Spear of Destiny."

"...Okay," Lucifer muttered with a reassuring nod. What on earth did that supposed to mean? He had no clue, but he was certain it wasn't an euphemism for a male's reproductive organ. "I'll… er… be mindful. And stop calling me your King. I have a name."

"I— I am unworthy…"

"Oh hush. It's just a name," Lucifer waved dismissively. "I'll go fetch my dogs."

"I'll get Benemune," Azazel said as he walked out the door. Lucifer was following him until he was stopped by a pair of delicate arms.

"Please be careful, Brother…" Gabriel hugged him from behind. "I know it isn't yet a certainty… but facing the Dragon of the Apocalypse…? His arrival marks the start of the End Times… no?"

"Ah, sweet Gabriel…" Lucifer chuckled as he placed his arm above hers. "Always the worrywart. See, lil sis, I don't know much about the Great Red or if he's Apocalyptic or not… End Times or not, I don't think you should worry about it arriving so soon. After all, I am the Apocalypse," he sniggered casually, "I would know."

He untangled himself from Gabriel's warm embrace, and headed to the exit. "Good day! I'll be sure to return for breakfast."

.

.

.

The group blinked, and stared at each other, keeping silence until Sirzechs broke it with a question.

"...What did he just say?"

.

.

.

Meanwhile, in the clubroom of the Occult Research Club, three Demons had been tirelessly bothering a certain Fallen Angel, providing entertainment for those who weren't invited to the makeshift interrogation room because they weren't important enough. It would have been grievously awkward if not for the Cerberus' antics.

"I hate this," was all Benemune could say, helpless as she laid on the floor, piled on by the damned mutts. Violence was an obvious answer, but that'd likely end up with her losing her job.

To be continued…

Swiggity swooty, your sacred gear is now my property

Ain't gonna lie to you, but I've been not writing this story for so long, I kinda lost track about certain things, and re-reading the past chapters are such a drag because i kept on cringing

Hopefully this is still decent enough. If it isn't, then screw you :^(

That said, this entire chapter is pretty much all expositions and teasers. I hope you don't mind. This is me trying to salvage the story

If you do then screw you anyway :^(

These people keep getting sidetracked because I thought it'd make them more... idk... human? Instead of the robot that is Grayfia Lucifuge who just get straight to the point 24/7. I want them to be like a group of friends working on a project instead of super serious leaders doing super serious leader-y thing

Can i get at least three pogs for the Cerberus?
Cerberuses? Cerberi? Idk what they're called in plural