LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 45: Differences
"Huuuuuuh!" Lucifer woke up with a start. Immediately he noticed that he was alone. Through out the years he was waking and slumbering continuously. He had lost count how many times it happened.
But this time was different, this time his Father had visited and actually aided him.
As he hazily attempted to get up from the bed, he leaned on it, but suddenly he lost his balance. As he tried to hold himself against something, he put his hand on the small table next to it, though it immediately fell over because of his weight, the mirror on it shattering onto the ground.
His eyes started to clear up and he saw something that shocked him. His hands were bleeding.
Mere shards of glass made the once invincible skin that was unscathed when struck by even divine blades, bleed.
And then Lucifer understood.
He was weak. All his Will has been directed at keeping him from being unraveled at the seams into non-existence.
And it was still doing so at this very moment. He had lost all that made him the mightiest archangel, for the moment at least.
But not without a boon.
He has replicated a part of his Father's Omniscience. It is far more limited in the sense it contains all the knowledge Yahweh had when He first created the three demiurgic archangels, but it was still a near infinite well of knowledge.
The Lightbringer knew though that this was temporary. His archangelic physical strength was still there, but his body was still just healed, new, and for that it's durability currently was no different than a modern human's.
But it will return when it was time.
His greatest worry though currently was his Will. He was instinctively fully using it constantly to keep himself together and not let the second rate copy of his Father's Omniscience rip him apart.
He currently had two options, let all the stored knowledge in his mind that he'll slowly have to access and adapt to fade and regain his Will,
Or, for now forgo his Will and seek to find a way to keep himself together without using it fully so that he can use it for other matters as well.
He knew though, he could use it for short bursts if truly necessary, but the consequences would be detrimental. He would once again start to unravel and maybe even lose his sense of self once more in it...
He shuddered at the last thought, he didn't think he'd ever think this, but he was truly grateful for his Father's intervention when it happened.
Which brought up a can of worms he currently was not in the mood to open.
For now he'll have to take a page out of his other self's book, the one he knew from his previous life and utilise magic alongside making deals with other beings in case he couldn't do something on his own.
As Lucifer held himself against the wall, he slowly walked out of his chambers and saw that there were no guards which was odd. Though he did sense a powerful protective barrier surrounding it which he with a tap on it, destroyed, as he disrupted its pattern.
He may have been weakened, and without the Will not as in tune with patterns, but he is still the wisest in creation, now even more so then ever before and knowledge is power.
In some ways he is superior then before, for once he regains his Will, not even Michael may be his equal.
As Lucifer once more leaned on the wall and continued to walk his weary body, he started to hear screams, and these were different than the usual ones that he was used to. Different from the screams of the damned.
These were the roars of war.
As the weakened archangel continued to walk, he reached the Throne room. It was empty as well, which continued to perplex Lucifer. His mind was still very foggy after being in slumber for so long, fighting against being torn asunder by the gift of God.
There he slowly approached the Throne and gently sat upon it and when he did, he felt far more at ease.
He felt stronger, more energized for Hell itself was giving him power. It was always doing so, but the Throne was the Heart of Hell itself and far more potent in its sharing.
And it brought with it substantial abilities as well, such as allowing the King when seated upon it to see its past and present, and even its future if he so desired.
But that is not what Lucifer wanted, he simply desired to know the current situation. He was too tired to gaze at the past and see how much happened. He'll make do with what he will know about the now.
And so he saw.
He saw death, suffering, destruction, all things very much common in Hell, but what surprised him was that he saw that there were denizens in it that were neither human nor demon, but so-called deities.
He saw fire, wind, ice, but most prominently, lightning.
And that immediately gave him an understanding of what was happening, as he saw a three meter red-haired man clad in silver armor, a winged helmet, drawn by a chariot of goats striking with thunder and lightning over the armies of Hell, he recognized him.
Thor, Son of Odin.
Lucifer furious rose from his Throne and reordered his palace, for a massive balcony to appear before him.
He walked to it and leaned on it seeing the battle from above.
He at first was perplexed why his children were struggling against this mere babe barely out its diapers screaming itself hoarse.
His children were gifted with his Will, it being a very limited version notwithstanding.
But soon after it became clear to him. The reason for it all was his own state of being. His children derived the strength of their will from his. His wasn't very much accessible at this very moment, for both himself and them.
And If that was not bad enough, Hell's law is that none surpass the king in strength save God Himself.
As his strength waned, so too the strength of all who were in Hell became restricted to a measure that even as he is now would be able to easily subdue them.
And if that was not bad enough, the angels who have turned into demons after their fall have been forbidden by Yahweh to utilise their previous angelic abilities.
They retained their physical strengths, but the angelic magic was forbidden to them and if they broke His law, they will immediately perish and enter the Mansions of Silence.
Hell itself as well has banished all from the palace holding its Lord, emptying it to protect him.
Lucifer in his anger crushed the railing of the balcony as he undid the barrier surrounding the palace.
"Finally coming out of hiding Lightbringer?! Finally ready to have a taste of my hammer?!" Thor Odinson roared with a hearty laugh as he spun his hammer and flew with lightning dancing around him, descending still upon the armies of Hell, its thunder deafening, towards the King of Hell.
Lucifer with ease caught the hammer with one hand, shattering it and choked the so-called god with the other, "You steal the thunder in attempt to mimic the roar of my Father's wrath, yet your voice is but akin to the wail of a babe as it fails to burble its words. Creation will not miss your tantrums."
As the Devil was about to snuff the life out of the son of Odin, a voice roared and silenced the entire battle,
"Hold, Son of the Morning!" Odin, the All-Father of the Aesir roared, his voice and image projected into Hell.
"Odin, King of Asgard, you actually dare to order me?" Lucifer stated, his voice dripping with ice cold venom.
"It is not an order, but a plea my Lord! Please, spare my foolish son, he did not understand who he was dealing with!" Odin pleades, his voice incapable of hiding his great concern as the All-Father kneels down.
"Father, don't lower your head for him! We are his betters!" Thor roared in rage as he saw his father bend the knee.
"Be silent you ignorant child! You can not possibly understand what kind of being's ire you have directed to yourself!" Odin roared, his head still down.
"Enough with the melodrama Odin. I may have been in slumber for many years, but I am no fool.
This brat of yours is incapable of acting without your knowledge of his actions. You allowed him to start this as a test and are currently washing your hands of the blame.
Uncaring towards your son's life for you think he'll simply return to life after a couple of centuries as a consequence of you all being bound to humanity's beliefs. Thinking that if you secured a place such as Hell now that I have been so weakened that you'd be able to escape Ragnarok.
That Thor's temporary death would be worth it and quell my ire if you were wrong and you had to spin your words right. But you are wrong about one particular important detail. Your deaths are not as temporary as you believe," And Lucifer lets his throat loose from his hold for a mere instant as he takes his face within his palm and crushes his head.
"No!" Odin roars in horror, fearful of the Morningstar's final words.
"What I kill, I can revive and as well choose the place of its revival. Your son is now bound to the Mansions of Silence, the land of the dead forgotten worlds. He will be revived there and be bound by its laws till I see fit." Lucifer then snaps his fingers and puts into motion a pattern and Mjolnir's lightning escapes out of its shards and incinerates Thor's army.
"Begone Odin, and enjoy your final days, for I will paint the floors of Asgard red with the blood of the Aesir.
The only ones who will be spared are the non-combatents, but as for the rest of you, I shall make your blood flow as a river down into the Abyss as a warning to all, to never cross me." And as the Morningstar said this, with a snap Odin's projection was obliterated.
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-Asgard
"Aaah!" Odin roared in agony as he fell off his throne onto the ground.
"All-Father!" Heimdall cried out in worry as he ran towards him.
"Know this my people, we the Aesir are now in our darkest hour." Odin stated as he held his chest, his soul having been injured by Lucifer as a parting gift.
"Hel, my daughter, prepare the armies," Odin suddenly addressed the one who is called the Goddess of Death, who nodded seriously as she immediately ran to fulfill her order.
"And you Heimdall, prepare the Bifrost." Odin commanded.
"What for my Lord? There are no allies we can call upon," Heimdall stated confused.
Odin's expression grew paler as he then spoke, his fear palpable, "It is not to call for aid Heimdall, but for escape, for I fear us being incapable of stopping that Devil..."
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(Author note: Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Yeah, Thor attacked! I was thinking on who would possibly be arrogant and stupid enough to attack Hell when Lucifer was weakened and well, Thor popped right up in my mind.
How did you find Lucifer's power? He doesn't have access to the Will right now, but can use it at risk of nearly dying, well until he finds a way to stabilise the copy of Yahweh's Omniscience he got.
As you saw, he is weaker than before, but still not a being to be trifled with at all.
So yeah, please do comment how you found it, interactions with you guys motivates me to continue and I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)