The ruined church had become strangely quiet.
Not peaceful.
Quiet.
There was a difference.
The walls were still cracked from the battle. Pieces of stone covered the floor, broken pews were scattered across the room, and the smell of blood, burned holy power, and demonic energy still lingered in the air. Outside, the night wind passed through the broken windows and carried the distant sound of people moving through the streets.
But inside the church, nobody spoke for several seconds.
Rias was alive.
That single fact was still difficult for everyone to accept.
She sat against one of the remaining pillars while Rossweisse remained beside her, one hand still holding Rias's shoulder as if letting go would somehow make her disappear again.
Rias looked down at herself.
Her hands were shaking.
She clenched them.
Opened them.
Clenched them again.
Her heart was beating.
Her lungs were working.
She could feel the circulation of demonic power through her body.
She was alive.
"I died," Rias finally whispered.
Nobody answered.
Rias looked toward Lucifer.
He was standing several meters away.
His black suit was damaged, his white shirt was stained with blood, and his red tie was hanging loosely around his neck. His hair was messy, and there were several cuts across his face.
He looked exhausted.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
Lucifer looked at Rias for several seconds before sighing.
"Yes."
Rias swallowed.
"What happened?"
Lucifer's eyes moved toward the destroyed altar.
"Family matter."
Sona immediately narrowed her eyes.
"That is not an explanation."
"It is the explanation I currently possess."
"You were gone for several minutes."
"Yes."
"You disappeared after saying you were going to find a way to bring her back."
"Also yes."
"And you returned after doing something that made even the supernatural energy around us behave strangely."
Lucifer glanced at her.
"You have become annoyingly observant."
"I spend most of my life observing idiots."
Saji, who was sitting nearby with a bandaged arm, raised his hand.
"I feel attacked."
"You should."
Lucifer almost smiled.
Almost.
Then his eyes returned to Rias.
There was something different about them.
Rias noticed it.
The arrogance was still there.
The amusement was still there.
But something had changed behind it.
Something had become heavier.
Rias knew Lucifer well enough now to recognize it.
Fear.
Not fear of an enemy.
Fear of losing someone.
She slowly stood.
Her legs nearly gave out.
Rossweisse immediately caught her.
"Careful."
"I'm fine."
"You died less than an hour ago."
Rias looked at her.
"That is technically true."
"Technically?"
Lucifer raised a finger.
"I would prefer we don't argue about technicalities involving death."
Rias looked at him.
"You were crying."
Lucifer froze.
Rossweisse looked toward him.
Sona looked toward him.
Akeno looked toward him.
Even Kiba, who was barely conscious against the wall, opened one eye.
Lucifer slowly adjusted his tie.
"No."
Rias stared at him.
"You were."
"No."
"I saw you."
"Your vision was compromised."
"I was dead."
"Exactly. Poor lighting conditions."
Rias smiled faintly.
"You cried."
Lucifer sighed.
"Fine."
He looked away.
"I cried."
Nobody laughed.
The admission was too sincere.
Lucifer rubbed his eyes before speaking again.
"I thought I had lost you."
Rias's expression softened.
Lucifer rarely admitted weakness.
Not because he did not have any.
Because he hated anyone knowing about them.
"I have lost people before," he continued quietly. "Thousands. Millions, perhaps. After enough centuries, numbers stop meaning what they should. Faces become names. Names become memories. Memories become empty spaces."
His eyes lowered.
"But when I saw you lying there, I remembered what it felt like to lose everyone."
Rias did not say anything.
Lucifer looked at her.
"And I realized something."
"What?"
"I don't want to experience that again."
Rias smiled.
"Then stop trying to kill yourself."
Lucifer blinked.
"That is remarkably sensible advice."
"You nearly destroyed yourself fighting Kokabiel."
"That was different."
"How?"
"I was angry."
"That makes it worse."
"Fair."
Rias stepped closer.
She placed her hand against his chest.
Lucifer looked down at it.
"You saved me."
Lucifer shook his head.
"No."
Rias frowned.
"Death did."
The room became silent again.
Lucifer immediately regretted saying it.
Sona's eyes sharpened.
"Death?"
Lucifer looked toward her.
"The concept."
"That does not sound like a concept."
"It was a complicated conversation."
"With death?"
"Yes."
"Actual Death?"
Lucifer stared at her.
"Unfortunately."
Sona looked genuinely unsettled.
Akeno tilted her head.
"Was he handsome?"
Lucifer slowly turned toward her.
"What?"
Akeno smiled.
"I was curious."
"Yes."
Rossweisse immediately looked annoyed.
"Why does that matter?"
"Because if Death is going to appear as a human, I assume he would at least put some effort into the presentation."
Lucifer stared at her.
"You are all focusing on the wrong part."
Rias raised an eyebrow.
"So Death is handsome?"
"I hate this conversation."
Saji whispered to Kiba.
"Why does this feel normal?"
Kiba, still injured, replied quietly.
"Because this group is abnormal."
Lucifer sighed.
"Death is real. He is older than every pantheon you have ever heard of. He is not some new god hiding in a cave waiting for someone to discover him."
Sona frowned.
"You know about the pantheons?"
"Of course."
"Greek?"
"Yes."
"Norse?"
"Obviously."
"Hindu?"
"Yes."
"Egyptian?"
"Yes."
"Chinese?"
"Yes."
"Mesopotamian?"
Lucifer smiled.
"Those people have been trying to kill each other since before most civilizations figured out writing."
Sona continued.
"Zoroastrian?"
"Yes."
"Buddhist?"
"Complicated."
"American indigenous pantheons?"
Lucifer paused.
"Many different traditions. Not one pantheon."
Sona nodded.
"Good."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to know if you were going to claim every religion has one central group of gods."
Lucifer smiled.
"No. Humanity is far more complicated than that."
He looked toward the broken ceiling.
"The supernatural world has never been organized properly. Gods have families. Pantheons have factions. Gods hate each other. Gods love each other. Some have married humans. Some have children with humans. Some abandoned their followers. Some stayed with them. Some are terrifying. Some are pathetic."
Rias smiled.
"Pathetic gods?"
"You have met Devils."
"Fair."
Lucifer continued.
"The Greek gods have political problems. The Norse have family problems. The Hindu deities have their own cosmic responsibilities and personalities. The Egyptian gods have spent thousands of years dealing with succession, death, rebirth and family drama. The Chinese divine bureaucracy is exactly what it sounds like."
Saji raised his eyebrows.
"Divine bureaucracy?"
"Paperwork."
"Gods have paperwork?"
"Everyone has paperwork."
Lucifer looked deeply offended.
"Even immortality has administration."
Rossweisse covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Lucifer pointed toward her.
"Do not laugh. I have personally watched immortal beings spend three centuries arguing over jurisdiction."
"Which gods?"
Lucifer thought.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Who you ask."
He smiled.
"That is the important thing about gods."
Rias tilted her head.
"What?"
"They are not gods because they are wise."
Lucifer's smile disappeared.
"They are gods because they possess power, authority, faith, lineage, or some combination of the four."
The room became quieter.
"That doesn't make them perfect."
Lucifer looked at Sona.
"Never assume a god is automatically wiser than a Devil."
Then toward Rias.
"Never assume a Devil is automatically worse than a god."
His eyes moved toward the broken church.
"Power does not determine morality."
He paused.
"It merely determines how expensive your mistakes become."
BREAK
Far away from Kuoh, something old moved.
Not a monster.
Not a god.
A man.
He sat inside a quiet temple overlooking a mountain range.
His clothes were simple.
His hair was white.
His expression was tired.
A young monk entered the room and bowed.
"Master."
The old man opened his eyes.
"What is it?"
"The lamps went out."
The old man looked toward the altar.
Every candle had gone dark.
"All of them?"
"Yes."
The old man stood.
He walked toward the altar.
There was no wind.
No spiritual disturbance.
Nothing that should have extinguished them.
Then he noticed something.
A mark.
Very faint.
A circle surrounding a small black point.
The old man stared at it.
He had seen the symbol once before.
A very long time ago.
"Impossible."
"What is it?"
The old man touched the mark.
His finger immediately recoiled.
Not because it was hot.
Because it felt like touching something that should not exist.
He closed his eyes.
For a moment, he saw a young man dressed in black.
A red tie.
Brown hair.
Violet eyes.
And behind him, enormous black wings.
The vision disappeared.
The old man opened his eyes.
"Tell nobody."
The monk looked confused.
"Master?"
"Tell nobody."
"Why?"
The old man stared toward the mountains.
"Because something that was supposed to remain dead has returned."
BREAK
In Greece, an old man was drinking wine.
He was sitting beneath an olive tree.
He looked perhaps sixty years old.
His beard was gray.
His clothes were ordinary.
He had a newspaper in one hand and a glass in the other.
A woman approached him.
"Father."
He did not look up.
"What?"
"Something happened."
"I am drinking."
"I know."
"Then you know I don't care."
She sat beside him.
"Something returned."
The old man finally looked at her.
"Who?"
"The Morning Star."
The glass stopped halfway to his mouth.
The old man stared at her.
"Which one?"
She frowned.
"There is more than one?"
"Apparently."
He slowly placed the glass down.
"That is unfortunate."
She sighed.
"You knew?"
"I knew there was a possibility."
"What kind?"
"The kind that makes everyone else's problems worse."
He looked toward the sky.
"Did Heaven notice?"
"Yes."
"Norse?"
"Probably."
"Underworld?"
"Definitely."
"India?"
"We don't know."
"China?"
"Someone noticed."
"Egypt?"
"Probably."
"Mesopotamia?"
The woman smiled.
"Someone is always watching from Mesopotamia."
The old man sighed.
"Of course."
She looked at him.
"Are you worried?"
He picked up his wine again.
"Very."
"Then why are you drinking?"
"Because being worried doesn't improve wine."
BREAK
Back in Kuoh, Lucifer stood in the center of the ruined church.
Sirzechs had arrived.
Grayfia stood beside him.
Neither said anything at first.
Sirzechs looked at Rias.
Then at Lucifer.
Then at the destruction around them.
His expression became serious.
"You did it."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow.
"I did many things tonight."
"You brought her back."
"Apparently."
Sirzechs walked toward him.
For a moment, the two men simply looked at each other.
Then Sirzechs extended his hand.
Lucifer stared at it.
"What?"
"Thank you."
Lucifer looked at the hand.
Then shook it.
"You're welcome."
Grayfia watched them carefully.
She had never trusted Lucifer completely.
She still didn't.
But something about him had changed.
He looked less like a man trying to escape his past.
And more like a man finally accepting that the past had caught him.
Sirzechs released his hand.
"We need to talk."
Lucifer groaned.
"Those are terrible words."
"It is important."
"They are still terrible."
"We need to discuss your position."
Lucifer looked at him.
"My position?"
"Yes."
Sirzechs folded his arms.
"You said you don't want the title of Satan."
"I don't."
"You also said you won't rule."
"Correct."
"You refused to become King."
"Yes."
Sirzechs nodded.
"Then what exactly are you going to do?"
Lucifer looked around.
The answer came naturally.
"Protect."
Sirzechs remained silent.
Lucifer continued.
"I spent centuries ruling. I failed."
"Lucifer..."
"I failed."
His voice became firmer.
"I don't need you to tell me otherwise."
Sirzechs said nothing.
"I don't want the throne. I don't want ceremonies. I don't want nobles kissing my boots. I don't want children learning some polished version of history where I become a heroic figure."
He looked toward Rias.
"I want to make sure the people living now don't end up as names nobody remembers."
Sirzechs's expression softened.
"So you want to be the sword."
Lucifer smiled.
"Exactly."
"Then I will give you something better."
"What?"
"Authority."
Lucifer's smile disappeared.
"I don't need authority."
"You do."
Sirzechs stepped closer.
"If you are going to protect the Underworld, you need the authority to act before threats reach us."
Lucifer thought about it.
"Military authority?"
"Something close."
"That sounds dangerously like responsibility."
"It is."
Lucifer sighed.
"Fine."
Sirzechs smiled.
"I knew you would agree."
"Don't look so pleased. I haven't agreed to paperwork."
"You will have paperwork."
"I withdraw my agreement."
"You already agreed."
"I was tricked."
Grayfia spoke for the first time.
"You were not tricked."
Lucifer looked at her.
"Grayfia."
"Lord Lucifer."
"Please don't call me that."
"Why?"
"It makes me remember responsibilities."
Grayfia's expression remained emotionless.
"You need to remember them."
Lucifer sighed.
"I preferred you when you were eight."
Grayfia's eyes narrowed.
"You remember?"
"I remember everything."
She looked at him for a moment.
"No."
Lucifer frowned.
"What?"
"You do not remember everything."
He became silent.
Grayfia continued.
"You told me yourself that your memories are incomplete."
Lucifer looked away.
"Yes."
"Then don't pretend."
For once, Lucifer had no clever response.
Grayfia walked past him.
"That is something you should understand better than anyone."
She stopped beside Rias.
"You are alive because someone decided your life was important."
Rias looked at her.
"And?"
Grayfia looked toward Lucifer.
"Make sure you deserve that decision."
Lucifer smiled faintly.
"That sounded almost like encouragement."
"It wasn't."
"Of course."
BREAK
Later that night, the group returned to Gremory Castle.
The castle was unusually quiet.
Servants moved through the halls.
Doctors checked the injured.
Kiba was placed under observation.
Koneko was resting.
Asia refused to leave Rias's side until she was certain Rias was healthy.
Sona stayed nearby longer than she intended.
Akeno watched everything with a smile that failed to hide her exhaustion.
Rossweisse sat alone in a corridor.
She stared at her hands.
They were still shaking.
Lucifer found her there.
"You should sleep."
She looked up.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"I thought she was dead."
Lucifer sat beside her.
"So did I."
Rossweisse looked at him.
"You really met Death?"
"Yes."
"What was he like?"
Lucifer thought.
"Annoying."
She blinked.
"Death was annoying?"
"Very."
"What did he say?"
"Too much."
"What did he look like?"
Lucifer paused.
"Young."
"Young?"
"White hair. Blue eyes. Vest."
Rossweisse frowned.
"That's oddly normal."
"That's what made it worse."
Lucifer looked toward the window.
"He wasn't pretending to be human."
Rossweisse understood.
"Meaning?"
"He simply looked human."
She became quiet.
Lucifer leaned back.
"That is the thing people don't understand about beings at that level."
"Gods?"
"Gods. Dragons. Primordials. Whatever."
He shrugged.
"The stronger they become, the less they need to prove it."
Rossweisse looked at him.
"You were once like that."
Lucifer laughed.
"No."
"You were."
"No. I was worse."
She smiled.
"At least you're honest."
"I try."
Rossweisse rested her head against the wall.
"Do you think Ddraig is really gone?"
Lucifer's smile faded.
"No."
"How do you know?"
"I don't."
She looked at him.
"Then why say it?"
"Because Death told me something."
"What?"
"Dragons like him aren't supposed to stay dead."
Rossweisse stared at him.
"Then where is he?"
Lucifer looked toward the darkness outside.
"Somewhere."
"That's not very reassuring."
"It's not supposed to be."
He stood.
"Go to sleep."
Rossweisse looked up.
"What about you?"
"I have work."
"At this hour?"
"Apparently Hell doesn't stop functioning because I had an existential crisis."
She smiled.
"Goodnight."
Lucifer paused.
"Goodnight, Valkyrie."
Rossweisse watched him leave.
Then she whispered.
"Be careful."
Lucifer stopped for half a second.
He didn't turn around.
"I'll try."
BREAK
Deep beneath the Underworld, in a room that almost nobody knew existed, a group of Devils were gathered around an old table.
There were no decorations.
No banners.
No noble symbols.
Only books.
Ancient books.
Some were written in languages modern Devils could no longer read.
A black-haired Devil opened one.
"The records have changed."
Another Devil frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The old record."
He pointed toward the page.
"The name is different."
"Which name?"
The Devil hesitated.
"Lucifer."
Silence.
The second Devil leaned closer.
The page contained an old description.
First Son.
Morning Star.
First Satan.
Rebel.
The text continued.
Then suddenly, several lines became blank.
The Devil frowned.
"This wasn't blank yesterday."
Another Devil reached for the book.
The moment his finger touched the page, he pulled it away.
"What?"
"It is warm."
The others looked at him.
Books did not become warm.
Not ancient demonic books protected by multiple seals.
The first Devil slowly closed it.
"We shouldn't continue."
"Why?"
"Because the record is changing."
"Records don't change."
The first Devil looked toward the sealed door.
"They do when history itself is disturbed."
Nobody spoke.
Then something scratched against the other side of the door.
Three times.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Everyone froze.
The room was sealed.
Nothing should have been able to enter.
The scratching stopped.
A voice whispered from the other side.
"Morning Star."
Nobody moved.
The voice laughed softly.
Then disappeared.
BREAK
In Heaven, Gabriel stood before a window.
She was staring toward Earth.
Michael entered the room.
"You felt it."
Gabriel nodded.
"Yes."
"What?"
She closed her eyes.
"I don't know."
Michael stood beside her.
"Is it him?"
Gabriel's eyes opened.
"I think so."
Michael looked toward Earth.
"The First Satan."
Gabriel nodded.
"I remember."
She touched her chest.
"It still hurts."
Michael's expression became sad.
"I sealed those memories because I thought it would protect you."
"It didn't."
"I know."
Gabriel looked at him.
"You should have told me."
"I thought you would break."
"I did."
Michael lowered his eyes.
Gabriel smiled sadly.
"But I recovered."
She turned toward the window again.
"I want to see him."
Michael nodded.
"I know."
"Will Father allow it?"
Michael was silent.
Neither of them had seen God properly in a long time.
Finally Michael answered.
"I don't know."
Gabriel sighed.
"He used to love Lucifer."
"He still does."
"Then why did he let him fall?"
Michael looked toward Heaven.
"Because sometimes love doesn't prevent mistakes."
Gabriel closed her eyes.
"Do you think Lucifer hates him?"
Michael smiled faintly.
"No."
"How do you know?"
"Because if he hated Father, he wouldn't still call Him Father."
BREAK
Far north, in a land of snow, Odin sat in his throne.
He was not wearing armor.
He was not holding a spear.
He was simply sitting there with a cup of coffee.
Rossweisse had been gone for some time.
Thor stood nearby.
"So?"
Odin drank.
"So what?"
"The Devil."
"Which Devil?"
"The First Satan."
Odin sighed.
"Lucifer."
"Yes."
"What about him?"
Thor frowned.
"He returned."
"I know."
"And?"
Odin stared at him.
"Do you expect me to throw a spear at him?"
Thor considered it.
"Perhaps."
"Why?"
"Because he is dangerous."
Odin took another drink.
"So are you."
Thor looked offended.
"I am very reasonable."
"You once challenged a dragon because he insulted your beard."
"He was disrespectful."
Odin rubbed his forehead.
"That is exactly my point."
Thor crossed his arms.
"What are you going to do?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"For now."
Thor looked surprised.
Odin continued.
"Lucifer is powerful. More importantly, he is unpredictable."
"Then why not attack first?"
"Because he has not attacked us."
"Yet."
Odin smiled.
"Exactly."
He looked toward the horizon.
"Let's not give him a reason."
BREAK
In India, an old palace remained quiet beneath the night sky.
A man sat on the steps.
He looked ordinary.
A simple white cloth.
Bare feet.
Long dark hair.
He was feeding birds.
A young woman approached.
"You felt it?"
He nodded.
"The old light."
She sat beside him.
"Lucifer?"
"Perhaps."
"Are you concerned?"
He smiled.
"Concern is useful."
"Fear?"
"Fear is also useful."
She looked at him.
"Will you intervene?"
"No."
"Why?"
"He has not asked."
She smiled.
"You always say that."
"Because it is true."
He threw another piece of food.
The birds gathered.
"The world has many guardians."
He looked toward the stars.
"It does not need another god deciding what everyone should do."
BREAK
In Egypt, two gods were arguing.
"Absolutely not."
"You said the same thing last time."
"Because I was correct last time."
"You were not."
"I was."
"You literally turned into a bird."
"That was tactical."
"It was embarrassing."
They continued arguing.
Then both stopped.
The air changed.
One of them looked toward the sky.
"Did you feel that?"
"Yes."
"The First Satan."
The other sighed.
"Why does everyone keep coming back?"
"Immortality."
"I hate immortality."
BREAK
In a place older than most human civilizations, an ancient stone tablet cracked.
Nobody was there to see it.
A line appeared across its surface.
Not written by a hand.
Not carved by a blade.
It simply appeared.
The First Son walks again.
Below it, another line formed.
The Dragon sleeps.
Then another.
The Red Soul shall return.
The tablet became silent.
No god spoke.
No prophecy announced itself.
No cosmic voice explained what it meant.
That was the frightening part.
There was no explanation.
Only a record.
And somewhere, someone had started writing again.
BREAK
Lucifer sat alone in his new room.
The castle had given him one despite his protests.
He stared at the ceiling.
"Death."
Nothing happened.
He waited.
Nothing.
Lucifer sighed.
"Of course."
He leaned back.
"Ddraig."
Silence.
He closed his eyes.
For a moment, he remembered a voice.
Boost.
He opened his eyes.
"No."
Nothing.
He rubbed his face.
"Get some sleep."
He stood and walked toward the balcony.
The night air was cold.
Kuoh looked peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
Lucifer stared at the moon.
Then he noticed something.
A faint black mark had appeared on the glass door.
A circle.
A point inside it.
The same symbol he had seen in Death's bar.
Lucifer stopped.
His expression changed.
He touched the glass.
The symbol disappeared.
He stared at his hand.
"What are you?"
No answer.
Then he heard something.
Not a voice.
A sound.
Three knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Lucifer slowly turned around.
Nobody was there.
His eyes narrowed.
He reached for Lightbringer.
The sword did not appear.
Lucifer frowned.
He tried again.
Nothing.
That was impossible.
Lightbringer had answered him for centuries.
Lucifer stared at his empty hand.
Then he smiled.
Not because he found it funny.
Because he finally understood something.
Something was watching him.
And whatever it was had deliberately chosen not to attack.
Lucifer walked toward the balcony.
"Fine."
He looked into the darkness.
"If you want my attention, you have it."
Nothing happened.
He waited.
Then a whisper came from somewhere far beyond the castle.
Not loud.
Not threatening.
Almost amused.
"Welcome back."
Lucifer's smile disappeared.
He knew that voice.
But he could not remember from where.
He stood completely still.
The memory was there.
Just beyond reach.
A face.
A battlefield.
Snow.
Blood.
A crown.
And thousands of people kneeling.
Then the memory vanished.
Lucifer closed his eyes.
"Who were you?"
Silence.
He opened his eyes.
The night was normal again.
Lucifer slowly stepped back.
For the first time since returning to Earth, he felt something he had not felt even during the Great War.
Uncertainty.
Not fear.
Not weakness.
Uncertainty.
He had spent centuries believing he understood the world.
He understood Heaven.
He understood Hell.
He understood Devils.
He understood dragons.
He understood gods.
But perhaps that had been the problem.
The world had continued changing while he was gone.
New civilizations.
New gods gaining faith.
Old gods losing it.
Pantheons changing alliances.
Humanity advancing.
Sacred Gears weakening.
Ancient beings remaining hidden.
And somewhere beyond all of them was something that did not need a throne, a church, an army, or worship.
Something that simply watched.
Lucifer looked toward the moon.
"Wonderful."
He loosened his tie.
"Apparently I finally got my quiet life."
He paused.
"And naturally the universe decided to ruin it."
From inside the room came a knock.
Lucifer turned.
Rias stood at the doorway.
"You were talking to yourself again."
Lucifer stared at her.
"I was having a private conversation."
"With whom?"
"Nobody."
Rias looked toward the balcony.
"You're lying."
"Yes."
She walked inside.
"Why?"
Lucifer looked at her.
"Because you are still recovering and I don't want you worrying."
Rias frowned.
"That isn't your decision."
Lucifer smiled.
"Good."
"What?"
"You are alive."
Rias smiled.
"So are you."
"Unfortunately."
She hit him lightly on the arm.
Lucifer laughed.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then Rias noticed something.
"Lucifer."
"Hm?"
"Your eyes."
"What about them?"
"They're glowing."
Lucifer froze.
He touched his face.
The reflection in the glass showed his violet eyes.
But around the pupils was something else.
A thin golden ring.
Lucifer stared.
He had seen that before.
Not on Earth.
Not in Hell.
Not in Heaven.
In a memory he could no longer fully access.
A voice whispered inside his mind.
Not Death.
Not Ddraig.
Not God.
Something older than the memory itself.
The first light.
The first rebellion.
The first death.
Lucifer's expression became serious.
Rias noticed.
"What is it?"
Lucifer looked at her.
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're lying again."
"Yes."
"Then tell me."
Lucifer looked back toward the night.
"Some things are better discovered slowly."
Rias sighed.
"That sounds suspiciously like something a mysterious old man would say."
Lucifer smiled.
"I have lived long enough to become one."
"You look twenty."
"That is because I am beautiful."
"Of course."
They stood together in silence.
Neither noticed the symbol appearing again.
This time, not on the glass.
On the wall behind them.
A circle.
A black point.
And beneath it, a single word.
END.
The symbol disappeared before either of them could see it.
Far away, beyond Heaven, Hell, Earth, and every pantheon that watched the world from its own throne, something turned a page.
Not a god.
Not a new being.
Not a monster.
A record.
And the next line had already begun.
BREAK
The following morning, Lucifer received three letters.
The first came from Heaven.
The second came from the Greek faction.
The third came from somewhere he did not recognize.
He opened the first.
Michael wanted to meet him.
He opened the second.
Zeus wanted to speak.
Lucifer stared at it.
"That sounds unpleasant."
Then he opened the third.
There was no name.
No seal.
No signature.
Only seven words.
You have forgotten more than you remember.
Lucifer read it twice.
Then a third time.
His smile slowly disappeared.
He folded the letter.
Placed it inside his coat.
And looked toward the window.
For the first time in centuries, the Dark Prince had no clever answer.
Only a question.
What had he forgotten?
And why was someone so afraid of him remembering it?
The answer would not come from Heaven.
It would not come from Hell.
And it would not come from Death.
At least, not yet.