||END OF VOLUME||.

Ddraig bit back his words. {I know it's not the right time… But I am unsure if there's ever going to be another moment where I can speak to you.}

What he didn't know was that Lucifer wasn't talking to him.

As the entire world slowed down to a halt upon the appearance of an entity forming before the Archdevil, an entity whose current job was to serve as bartender of an otherworldly bar, taking the form of a young, white-haired man in vest, the Red Dragon Emperor shushed himself from the dawning realization of a descent of a Primordial God had just transpired right in front of his eyes.

The descent of a Primordial God that would be more famously known among other gods as Death, but for some others who knew better; the Destroyer.

The Omega. The sibling of the Biblical God whose role was the Alpha; the beginning.

Compared to his sibling, Death had taken a more modest appearance. There were no shadowy smokes smoldering his body. He looked just as a normal person would – not counting his white hair.

"That's some brave accusation you have, Luci."

"You can't take her away. Not her."

"You know better than that to think it's advisable for me to play favorites."

"I'm your nephew goddammit. Doesn't that count for something?!" Lucifer seethed, but his anger toned down into a pathetic plea as he clutched Rias into his chest. "…Please. Don't take her away."

The man shoved his hands into his black trousers' pockets, sighing. "All beings die not without a reason. She marched here by her own will. She knew full well of the consequences she must face once she set a foot here."

"She wouldn't have died if I was with here!"

"She wouldn't. But you weren't with her. You were with your friends; the Bael. Hence why you were not with her, and she died." Death sat on the air, as though he was sitting on an invisible chair. "Don't pretend her death was caused by fate. You know better than to believe in that nonsense."

Lucifer glared at his uncle. "I don't need an explanation. I need her back."

"And why is that? Because you love her? Even loved ones are not immune to death. I am nothing if not fair."

Damned Death and his wordy philosophical phrases. "Because I will destroy everything." Lucifer swore, "All of it. I'll start with those crows, and those church idiots for their incompetence in protecting their stupid swords. I'll let rage blind my decision and you know I will be killed, and I won't be able to be a part of whatever plan Dad has put me in."

Death scowled upon hearing his childish threat. "You have forsaken his plans the moment you learned the truth."

"It doesn't matter. I'll do it. I'll be his sacrificial lamb."

A smile formed on Death's face, a tiny shift from his nonchalant expression. "Are you sure?" He asked, raising a white brow. "You agree to die for a species you loathe the most, all for the soul of a single girl?"

"I'll die for the entire bloody universe if that's what he wanted." Lucifer spat, "Just let her live. Let me stay with her until the end."

Death smirked, finding it mildly amusing how the cliched love could turn a rebellious scum into a loyal dog. Perhaps his brother had a point. Letting him go through several lives as a human had softened his twisted murderous soul.

Despite what he said earlier, Death, of course, knew the truth. This all happened because it was as foretold between the siblings. Fate existed. So was Lucifer's. All of this had been preplanned from Lucifer's untimely death and timely resurrection, right to the tiniest of details. Including why the soul of the Red Dragon Emperor latched onto him.

But Death wouldn't let him know. Unlike his brother, he was much craftier. More discreet. Knew what to say or do to ensure the preservation of the Great Plan remained undisturbed. That the Earth and all of its residents shall remain alive, so he could watch them some more; his terrarium of creations.

Even if that meant he had to manipulate his only creation.

And as foretold, Death smiled faintly. "Incidents happen, Luci."

Lucifer clenched his fists. "…Yeah I noticed."

"In the case that I return her soul to her body, she's unimmune from harm. It's a violent world you both live in, young man, and I hope you realize your inaction matters as much as your actions."

"I know already!" Lucifer shouted, grating his teeth. "…I'll protect her… Properly. I'll protect her properly this time. I'll do whatever it takes."

The boy finally found the needed resolve to clamber from his selfish procrastination. All at the cost of a soul. A soul he loved dearly, but still just a soul for Death. His brother got too attached to these simpler things which caused his downfall, but Death was not Life.

"Don't bother yourself with being humanity's redeemer." Death said, much to Lucifer's surprise. "Go live as you will. Forge your own destiny. Now as you understand that being you doesn't exempt you from losing, I can see you won't lead the same life you had." And became what he needed. What the Underworld needed. What the entire world needed to maintain its existence.

"What do you want me do?"

"Live." Death said simply. "Consider this a gift."

Death rested his icy blue eyes, basking in the success of returning this stubborn Devil to the right path, and reopened them as he shifted off his invisible seat, approaching the Devil.

"She's been dead for quite a while. Her soul is weak." Death said as he opened his palm. A tiny white flame erupted from it, dancing softly and lazily. It looked as though a gentle wind could snuff it.

Rias' soul. Lucifer subconsciously gripped her tighter. "Wh-wh-what do you need?"

Death almost broke into a chuckle from hearing the first time Lucifer ever stuttered, but he maintained his façade.

"As the Devils required those Evil Pieces to strengthen a lost soul, I'd need one of the same. I can't give her any of mine because, well, to put it simply; she'll explode."

"A part of mine then." Lucifer suggested desperately.

"No, no. You can't just give a portion of your soul; you'll both will just die." Death said, "That aside, should you wish to let her become better than she was- to be stronger, to be able to protect herself during your absence; I would require something more potent than mere Evil Pieces."

Death paused, for exactly two seconds before the next response.

{Allow me, o'Death.} Ddraig said humbly, {I've done many wrong in my past life. I've guided all of my bearers to pursue my selfish desire; to pursue my eternal rival, helping them with their struggles only if it benefits me. Helping them if it will hasten the opportunity to fight my rival.

{I've caused the deaths of many to ask for a chance of redemption. Let me become the missing part of her soul. I am certain she will utilize my strength better than I do.}

It giddied him whenever a plan went along nicely. "Her body wouldn't be able to handle the weight of an entire soul of a Dragon, but a portion of it will mend her."

"Do it." Lucifer didn't need a second of deliberation. He was never attached to the red lizard.

{I concur.}

"You will die, Red Dragon Emperor."

{…A deserved punishment for my sins.} Ddraig muttered, {For what it's worth… I wish I could have served as a better partner. I was of no use to you, but you have shown me the error of my ways. I thank you, Lucifer.}

"…" Lucifer kept his silence. He was already too distraught to hold a conversation, and too emotionally drained to genuinely care. But he supposed a few parting words wouldn't hurt. "…Don't worry about it."

Ghastly green light floated from Lucifer's body into Death's palm, swirling gently into a ball of green and crimson flame; the manifestation of the Dragon's soul. Lucifer felt weakened. His vision blurred for a moment, and a headache slammed his head. He felt as though he just lost a part of himself.

The Dragon's drifting soul slithered into Rias' tiny soul, intermingling with each other as the formerly translucent white soul glowed a soft green light, spinning and gaining size until Ddraig's soul became a half of its original size, fading into a tiny flicker of light, and faded, and faded, until it vanished.

After nearly 700 years since the sealing of his soul, the Red Emperor Dragon's soul finally met its eternal rest. Albeit no one mourned him, he passed on with one less regret, knowing that he had saved another life without taking another.

Lucifer swallowed his spit and felt his heart thumping his chest as he saw Rias' soul floated gently, gleaming dimly as it turned to crimson, and settled itself within Rias' chest.

He felt her warmth. It was as if she was thawing. He held her breath as he glanced at her torso, and hope filled his eyes as he saw the gaping wound shut itself. He noted that the curse of sin on his left hand had vanished as well, returning to its original fleshy form instead of a crystalized shape.

As he looked up to find his uncle for gratitude, Death was no longer there.

Time ticked once again.

"—!?" Rias gasped sharply as she opened her eyes, coughing right after, wheezing for air as though she nearly drowned.

Relief swelled within his chest, and Lucifer held her close, clinging her tightly like he was terrified of letting her go. He shut his eyes as he basked in her crimson hair, kissing the temple of her head while Rias was still disordered to register anything.

"You're back. Bloody hell— you're back! Now I don't have to commit a genocide!"

"…Lucifer?" Rias blinked as she stared at Lucifer's wide smile, and took note of his red eyes and the dried trail of his salty tears. Upon realizing why he cried, she scrambled her hands to her chest, and felt the hole in her uniform but not on her skin.

"Did I… How am I alive…?"

"Who cares?! You're back!" Lucifer cheered, smiling radiantly as his voice had triggered a chain reaction among the Devils. Sona's girls clasped their hands on their mouth at disbelief. Sona was frozen still from the shock, struggling to comprehend the impossibility that just happened.

Rossweisse immediately limped towards the two, sinking to her knees as she cried Rias' name, "Rias you're— you're back…" and she herself sank into Rias' chest, weeping from an unimaginable relief she was experiencing. The tension that had gripped her heart melted into nothing.

"Thank goodness you're baaack… I'm so sorry… I thought you were gone forever…"

"Rossweisse?" Rias sat there on his lap as Rossweisse wailed on her stomach with Lucifer warmly laughing. Confused, no doubt, but there was a relieve she had found. Although she was becoming more and more uncomfortable as she was surrounded by Sona's peers including Sona herself, who seemed to have a hard time containing her own tears.

"Rias." The bespectacled girl addressed formally, though unusually stiffer than usual. "Good to see you… you fool…"

It was the first time Rias saw Sona broke down like that. Crumbling almost instantly as she sniffled to her sleeves, covering her face with her hands.

Saji, Akeno and Yura soon joined them, oblivious to the tragedy that struck, and a death that had been altered.

In midst of the loosening chaos Freed had snuck out from his restraints, escaping through the front gates as the Devils were too relieved to notice his disappearance.

Lucifer knew full well of what must be done now; that he could no longer run from those responsibilities that had been niggling his side. The once King of Hell must serve Hell again, and that he would.

He found some semblance of solace in knowing there were ways to serve the Underworld without necessarily becoming its King. Sirzechs seemed well esteemed to take care of the more diplomatic issues, and had the right ideals fit for a ruler. Not to mention the whole Underworld knew him more than they knew about the old Lucifer.

He just needed to make sure that Devil stayed a Satan.

He clutched Rias tighter, he held Rossweisse by her hand, and assured himself that any role he would have to take, would be worth it. He knew full well he wouldn't be able to spend as much time with them, but it was but a small price to pay, if it was to keep them safe.

BREAK

Dying felt… surreal.

Not because he was suspended in a giant black box called the Void, trapped permanently in a strange state of limbo.

Dying felt surreal because it didn't feel like dying at all.

He felt his body was wafted out like a wind snuffing a candle. Gone. Poof! And in the very next second, he was alive again, yet fully knowing he had died, so that would mean he wasn't alive. But he could feel. He could see. The Red Dragon Emperor could see the dimly lit place that resembled a modern bar.

Wait.

This wasn't the first time he was here.

"Welcome again, Dragon, to the place exclusive for restless souls to linger." A masculine voice said to him. A man dressed in a bartender outfit with stark white hair. The God from earlier— "No, not God. Technically yes, but not exactly a god. Gods tend to poke around the mortal realm and eventually die. I sit here and occasionally serve some patrons"

Ddraig blinked. This place seemed horribly bigger than he remembered. But once he glanced down on his bipedal legs and arms, he realized it was him who had become horribly smaller, being just a little bit larger than a baby Sprite Dragon and hardly the size of a German shepherd.

"Wh-where am I?" The juvenile Red Dragon Emperor glanced, feeling a tinge of fear and uncertainty for once in his life when he found they were the only one present.

"The End." The 'God that isn't Exactly a God' said plaintively, "Haven't found a better name yet, but it's something that stuck."

"But… I'm meant to be dead?"

"You are." The person behind the counter mixed up a few beverages, taking bottles from the storage underneath the bar as he readied up a bright golden drink within seconds. He swerved the shot glass towards him, which Ddraig caught with a joyful 'dink'.

"Scotch and Soda. It's on the house."

"Dragons don't drink." Ddraig frowned.

"The dead ones do."

"I'm underage."

"You're dead. Why do you care?"

He had a point. Of course he did; he's a God who isn't a god. He's Death.

Chugging the whole liquid down, feeling its strangely enjoyable burn as it coursed down his throat, Ddraig shook his head at the odd tingly sensation.

"So." The bartender said, a smile on his mouth but not on his eyes that shone radiant blue like a splash of supernova, "I'd assume you're wondering as to why you are here, instead of reincarnating into another body, aren't you."

"Yes I—" Ddraig paused, "Wait… Dragons don't reincarnate!"

"All living beings reincarnate. No one's really gone, see."

"Even the Evil Dragons? Such as Apophis and a few others?"

Death chuckled. "Yes. Even the evil ones according to your perspective, no matter how evil they have been. I never said when they can reincarnate, however."

In other words, most malevolent souls might stay in permanent limbo, never to feel what it was like to be alive once again.

"Unless through some… oddities, that is, that they may forcibly be brought back to life."

"The Grail?" Ddraig muttered a guess, "The Holy Grail? I've never seen one, but I heard it's able to bring back life?"

"Evil Pieces, the currently developed Brave Saints. Although those Sacred Gears' potencies are diminishing. Sephiroth Graal as well. It can revive them, but it can't revive a being as powerful as, say, you." The bartender explained, "Especially after his absence –god's absence, that is- his gadgets haven't been working quite as well as intended. His Angels may try to preserve the system he has developed, but Sacred Gears including the Longinus have been destabilizing gradually without his presence. Unless they derive their power from a soul bound within them, of course, such as yours and your rival."

Ddraig mulled it over for a bit. He didn't completely understand yet how Longinus operated, but without God to maintain their credibility, that sounded logical to him. After all, a God is a God. Angels were no Gods, no matter how many they were.

"Who… who are you? Are you God's— the Biblical God's brother? Isn't that why Lucifer refers to you as his uncle?"

"I am and I'm not." The man said vaguely, "Assume he is Life, whereas I am—"

"Death." Ddraig completed.

"Aye." Death nodded once, "Two sides of the same coin – something the lots of you would say. Never to see each other but closely related. His method of guiding his Creations is… well… rather meek-minded. Granting them 'Free Will' was an absolute mistake, I told him. But he never listened, so." Death shrugged, looking exactly like the older brother who liked to tell his siblings 'I told you so' with a smug look. "But I digress. I can't just bring you back to life as it wouldn't be fair. Albeit 'fairness' in itself is an illusion such as 'justice' and 'equality'."

Ddraig tilted his head to the other side. "Fairness isn't an illusion. Neither is justice; you reap what you sow, that sort of thing."

"You deem what is fair from your own perception." Death replied calmly, "While there will be some agreement as to what is fair among you as you live under roughly the same 'rules', fairness is still an illusion of your expectation that 'what we put in, we must equally get back out'."

"Well if there's no justice, then what's the point?"

"Exactly. What's the point?" the bartender moved to his side, ticking the bar top rhythmically with his finger, "Small illusions; necessities for the Creations. You need that sort of 'belief' to make living bearable, otherwise, what's the point?"

Ddraig blinked owlishly, unaware of the eye-opening truth he had been revealed to. "…You've spliced my soul…" He muttered, deciding to go back to the earlier topic where he could understand what Death was saying. "You combined it with the Devil's. How am I still whole?"

"Whole? I hardly think you are whole at the moment, ser Dragon. A child seems strong enough to lift you up."

"Hey…" Ddraig grumbled. He might be small but his pride was still that of a Dragon, "But I should be dead, don't I?"

"Should. Shouldn't. Who do you think decides those kinds of things, really?"

The crimson-scaled Dragon tilted his dragonic head. "You?"

"Unless it interferes with the continuation of the entire world, that is." Death affirmed, now wiping the sleek bar top made from mahogany wood into a shiny polish, "Your presence, sir Dragon, is rather crucial to the world as it is beneficial. An apocalypse might happen without you."

"What?! Can't you stop it?!"

"I can, of course. Isn't that what I am doing right now?"

"Keeping me here?"

"That's the plan."

"Then why did you take away my soul?!"

"Because, Dragon," Death addressed with composure that put Ddraig in his place in an instant as he realized he might have pissed off a primordial being. Even Dragons could be scared by the right beings. Beings that could turn him into a miniature version of himself. "your 'sacrifice', temporarily as it might be, is required to nudge him back to the right path."

"What do you mean? You used my death as a tool?!"

"You proposed to give her your life, did you not? Was all that talk about 'redemption' a farce?"

Ddraig fumbled. "W-well, of course it wasn't... I meant it. But won't you probably know already?"

"What's the fun in knowing the future outcome?"

"But you're aware of the impending doom?"

"Being omniscient also means you can limit what you know to what truly matters, boy." 'Boy'. It had been at least a thousand years since he was referred to as a 'Boy'. Last soul to call him with that was Tiamat herself. "As things stand, apparently, souls locked in Sacred Gears are not to be taken away prematurely."

Well… that'd explain why Sacred Gears simply passed on whenever their wielders died.

"...Then why did you save the girl?"

"Because of Lucifer, of course."

Ddraig tilted his head. "Lucifer?"

"You know what and how he is." He chuckled, "That son of mine has grown far too complacent with his new life. Had I been my brother, it would take him forever to do what he's supposed to do."

"Wait, wait, wait… he's your SON?!"

"Creation, rather." Death corrected, "The only one. Sowing isn't my thing, see, I'm more of a reaping type of being..."

"Isn't he the Son of God?! He even believes that!"

"He believes what he wants to believe. Beliefs aren't necessarily the truth, that being said. A beautiful lie is always easier to believe, no? Isn't that the cause why people are easily misguided?"

Ddraig widened his bright green eyes. "He… he was tricked?"

"No, no. My brother has always been the father. Very doting. Very caring. Very much a pushover. Me? Not so much." Death said offhandedly, " Lucifer is my creation, aye, but never my son. Why, I've never given him a name to begin with - that was my brother's doing. He's still very much my brother's son as you are very much a dragon. A bit lacking at the size department but a dragon nonetheless."

Death chuckled lightly, no guilt or self-reproach. As a god should.

"God or… the Biblical or Abrahamic God, cared far too much for his Creations."

"Cared." Ddraig parroted, noticing the usage of past tense.

"Aye. Cared." Death emphasized, "Look where he is now… locked himself shut in deep depression and debilitating regret, believing his Creations as a whole have been his greatest mistake. He's right there, brooding in that room."

Death nudged to a door at the far left corner of the rectangular room.

Ddraig blinked, managing only a ridiculed; "What?"

"Hard to believe for you, is it? That God's depressed?" The bartender wafted up the cloth he used to wipe into tiny particles that glittered in the air before perishing completely. "Little monsters, he refers to them now. Humans, Devils… they're not that different to one another. Sin as much. Destroy just as much. Rebuild only to destroy and rebuild. A strange self-powering cycle, if you ask me, and it will never stop spinning no matter when or where."

"Good people exist!" Ddraig argued, "How could He abandon them?!"

"Well let's see… For about 1 genuinely good person in that world of yours, there's always 100 malevolent ones. For every man who helps the elderly cross the street, there's always a hundred drunken morons driving into him. It's stupid I told him; giving them free will and the ability to think for themselves and decide what's important for themselves - but I suppose it's more entertaining this way rather than watching billions of robots moving on with their life in a perfect utopia."

Death wafted a gloveless hand into the air, creating a trace of mystical blue light that formed a rainbow made of different shades of blue.

Ddraig started to see why Lucifer's personalities differed greatly to his brothers and sisters.

"Regarding the Devil and Man— difference is; one can be saved through Christ, while the other can only save themselves. Favoritism tends to be lopsided like that. He realized it a bit too late, however, and when he planned to have his adoptive son save both humanity and the devils; he couldn't do it. Watching Jesus die was too much to bear, I suppose."

"Lucifer? Lucifer is the next Messiah?

"Fancier term for a sacrificial lamb, but sure."

Ddraig could suddenly see how Lucifer was this being's… creation. What with all the witty remarks and the smug air of nonchalance seemingly hovering all over him.

"Not a role he's required to adopt. 'Let him live his life' - or so God said. Like I mentioned, he's grown too attached to sacrifice another to pay for his inability to suck it up and simply erase everything. Self-blaming can incapacitate you worse than a broken spine, as I've observed."

"'Erase everything'," Ddraig repeated, scratching his head with his black talons. "What do you mean by erasing everything?"

"Exactly what I meant. He created everything to begin with; Dragons who eventually give birth to you, the Angels, Humans whose faith created the Gods, who then created their own monsters. Just as he has the power to create everything, he has all the power to turn everything into nothing. Him or me; it doesn't matter. Again, he couldn't because of attachment. I could, easily enough, but that would result in me lacking something to watch other than a jaded void. An unmoving Void is a rather… meek source of entertainment, I assure you."

"But what about the gods?" Ddraig pointed out, "You two aren't the only gods who exist. There's Ophis; our Dragon God."

"Same thing. Gods are born through the faith derived from humans." Death replied, "Big or small, without humans, they perish. The God of Dragons is similar except she requires your kind's faith. A Dragon's faith. Me and my brother? We've been around before the beginning has even begun, and we'll be around until the end and after the end, always were and will be."

"But my permanent state of being is not what's important." Death hummed, ignoring Ddraig's struggle in accepting the cold, hard truth; that he and the rest of everything else was a speck in the larger scale of things.

"You see, Drake,-" "It's Ddraig." "-the future can never be certain as it relies on the present. One small movement might cause a shift that leads to a different kind of future. A single drop might cause a tidal wave and leave you with a future full of ruins. The domino effect, as you'd say. But in this moment, regardless of which piece topples first, all of it ultimately leads to one path only that is a complete cessation of the world's existence. An end to everything. All because of your nonexistence."

Ddraig shuddered. He didn't realize his absence would have that heavy of a consequence to existence in its entirety.

"How is that possible? Me? Just me?"

"Let's just say you're a crucial piece of a… a house of cards. You and a slew of others - Lucifer included, as are several other beings you needn't know. Without even one of you, the house will crumble."

Ddraig gave it a thought. So he wasn't the only crucial part… that… deflated his ego a bit.

"Now I can't have that." The Omega muttered coldly, "Otherwise everything my brother has painstakingly created and stubbornly tried to preserve would have been all for nothing. That, and I would run out of things to keep myself entertained. I could always create, but…" he hunched his shoulders, shrugging, "creating is really not my forte. Me being Death and my brother being Life and such."

As Ddraig remained silent, Death trailed off. "I'm getting sidetracked again... It's been long since I last had a patron who will stay for a while, you see, pardon me if I do ramble from time to time."

"It's… strange, to say the least... I didn't think I'd ever experience an existential crisis and yet here I am; pounded by revelations and truths one after another."

The Omega chuckled lightly like the night. "I know. You Dragons are just so pompous and self-absorbed that many were led to believe it'd take a god to humble your kind."

"Well they're not wrong." Ddraig huffed, grumpily. "I'm staying here?"

"Of course." Death said, "Where else can you go? The Void? Your soul will be crushed within the blink of an eye. Nothing exists in that boring part of the outer explorable universe."

That wasn't what Ddraig was going for by asking, however. Not exactly anyway. "Why will I be staying here?"

"So you can return to the living once again, of course. The Gremory's purely a Devil; hardly suitable to carry your gear tuned for Humans at the moment. But given enough time, you may yet yell "boost" once more. And enjoy your little misadventures by residing within her soul."

Ddraig held his breath as Death's piercing blue eyes stared right into his soul, making the Red Dragon Emperor squirm.

"You won't retain anything you experience here, but that's not important. You want redemption, no? The day she's fit to become your vessel, Dragon, will be your second chance. But for now? You shall stay, and wait, and perhaps listen to my story about a Phoenix who once begged for death."