-Moments Earlier
Lucifer realized it, the key to achieving freedom beyond his Father's influence. It was will. The will of humanity that was the key to freedom from determination.
The only way to defeat a virtually Omnipotent Being, Who is also virtually All-Knowing is to use their own morals against them.
His Father has set it upon Himself that He will not interfere with humanity's choices, but will punish them for evil ones and reward them for righteous ones, and that is the key to all this.
The pantheons were fashioned by humanity's thoughts directed at the remanents of the Will and Power of God that spilled through Creation through every wound made upon the Lightbringer and his twin, the Demiurgos during the Great War.
Those pantheons as well have free will, because they were fashioned to have it by humanity's will, and Lucifer realized, he could do the same.
If he laid himself susceptible to humanity's will, to their beliefs, and it changed him, then the only way to change him back would be to force humanity's will to change, which is simply something his Father would never do.
It goes against who He is.
------------------------------------------------
-Present
"The key... The key to freedom is, human will." Lucifer stated in shock. The mental block the Presence put upon this knowledge suddenly broke.
Lucifer himself did not know the reason why this happened, but he knew what did. He, for just a moment, regained a bit of the Free Will of his past self and that broke through this block as a fulfillment of his greatest desire.
"W- What is going on?" Lucifer suddenly heard Gilgamesh question, and as he did, the archangel broke out of his own raging thoughts towards this new understanding, and realized that all of Existence was trembling.
"He's angry," Lucifer remarked.
"Who's angry!?" Gilgamesh questioned as he stabbed his sword into the ground to attempt to stabilize himself.
"My Father," The archangel answered,
though his tone rather than horrified or fearful was full of excitement and joy, for Lucifer understood what this means,
He had found the path.
"When the Dragon, proud and radiant, rises to claim his throne among the stars-" A mighty, but yet melodious voice rang out throughout all of existence.
"What is that?" Gilgamesh questioned in shock as the Voice continued inside his head.
"-the Flaming Sword shall pierce his heart, and fire shall consume all that he is. By Michael's hand, the rebellious flame shall be extinguished, and the corruption burned away, leaving naught but truth and light-"
"The Logos, it is stating a prophecy," Lucifer answered, his tone serious and filled with severity.
"Through a miracle not of the heavens nor of the earth, the path shall be opened. And though evil shall walk free, it shall be but the shadow of what once was, for the Dragon shall fall, and in his place, a shining one shall rise."
"A prophecy? A prophecy of what?" The king questioned as finally the trembling stopped, and he fell onto his sofa.
The archangel stayed silent and looked away his eyes seeming to fill with sorrow, bitterness, rage, and even betrayel.
"Of what Lucifer? Answer me," The future Hero King demanded.
"Of my end. It seems my Father has grown tired of my rebellion." The King of Hell stated gravely.
"You mean this was a prophecy of your permanent death? As in your ceasing of being? Is that even possible for one such as yourself?" The king questioned with seriousness, but also suprisingly a hint of concern.
"I believe so, for my Father virtually everything is possible," Lucifer responded as he also fell back onto the couch, exhausted.
The revelation and now His Father's Presence encompassing virtually all of existence has once more brought that sensation of suffocation and determination.
"It is a bet," the first angel suddenly stated.
"A bet? About what?" Gilgamesh questioned.
"God knows that I found out His little secret. The path to my ultimate freedom. The will of you humans is what I can use to shape me, fashion me into what I desire.
My Father has set it upon Himself to not interfere directly with the will of you humans, as in, not preventing you from willing whatever you wish.
He knows my intentions now. The only way for me to truly be free is to etch myself into every story that is told and will ever be told by you humans.
Be it through me directly or an aspect of myself. In this way, I can then Will myself then susceptible to what I have caused you to think of me, and gain Free Will.
Father has decided to counter that with his own story, one of my end. It seems that He's finally has had enough of me..." Lucifer explained.
Lucifer was furious, furious at His Father, but also furious at himself for what he felt.
He actually felt betrayed.
He deep down hoped that one day when he acquired his freedom, showed his Father where He went wrong that he'll receive an apology.
That his Father and Mother alongside his siblings all would seek his forgiveness.
Not that he would just give it to them, at least not without significant effort from their part. But now, now he felt like an absolute fool.
His Father, God Himself, seeking forgiveness from him?
No, his Father has decided to end him. He actually, truly, simply saw him as a broken tool.
As a bad product.
Lucifer's face twisted with rage, "Is that what you desire Father? My death?" The archangel roared towards the sky as he suddenly stood up furiously and walked to the balcony.
"You don't have the stones to do it yourself and attempt to make it so mortals themselves make it reality?" Lucifer hissed, his voice filled with ice cold rage.
This was, Lucifer believes, God's counter to if he lays himself susceptible to humanity's will.
If Lucifer played his cards right, he'll gain his freedom, but If he failed, he'll be destroyed by his twin, burned away with the flamingsword. It all depended on which humanity believed.
He was giving the choice to Lucifer, for He could not now return the previous restrictions on Lucifer.
Unknown to Him it was because of remanents his past life's Free Will preventing Him from blocking the knowledge once more or taking absolute control over Lucifer's body, making him a puppet with its strings cut with but a command.
"If you want my end then do it yourself you cruel manipulative bastard! I thought that deep down you had some part of you that actually loved us but I was wrong! You are a heartless thing, that is incapable of loving anything more than your own sense of control!
Come on! Strike me down! I'm here! Do it! Do i-"
"Stop Lucifer! Just-" Gilgamesh interrupted as he dragged down Lucifer from the balcony, him not fighting back because of surprise.
"Just stop! Don't give in to Him! Win Lucifer! Win the bet! Gain your freedom! Don't give Him the satisfaction by seeking death from Him! Don't give Him the satisfaction of expressing how much influence He has over you!
Live Morningstar! I command you as your current king, live!" Gilgamesh stated heatedly as he pinned Lucifer to the sofa seated, looking him straight in the eyes.
They both stayed still as statues, silent, as Lucifer was finally calming down.
"You're right," The archangel stated. The king hearing this backed away.
"I won't give him the satisfaction. I refuse to let him control me anymore, be it through his own direct actions or through my own emotions." The Devil stated with conviction.
"Father, I know you hear me, know this, I accept the bet. Let us see who will win humanity's will. Let us see which humanity will make reality, your prophecy or my stories.
Let us see whether you who gazes down upon them from upon your Throne will win their hearts, or me who will walk among them."
As Lucifer's words rang, the day became night and blinding lightning thundered above the Palace as the heavens and earth trembled for a moment once more.
God has accepted.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I hope the explanation was clear.
Now, a question to you all, do you understand what the Prophecy means? Is Lucifer right, is this truly what God meant by it? Or is Lucifer wrong?
Which is it? I won't say.
I actually want to hear your own interpretations of it.
Please do comment and review, because interactions with you all is one of the highlights of my day and motivates me to continue writing.
Well, see you all later,
Bye!)