"Think again," Ash says.
The rockets twist and coil, meeting in the center of its head. It explodes, a blast powerful enough to send us flying back.
The giant waves flow into the deep, settling with calm. The bodies of demons t
urn into dead insects. The remnants of Beelzebub are gone, but the destruction is still there. The scars of a future that could have been...
The air is quiet, and the ground is now still. Whatever portals were open have now been now closed. The smoke swirls around us. The rubble still remains.
We are left, not as heroes, but as villains who will have to rebuild a city that was robbed of character.
Lucifer knew what he was doing. He played us for fools. He made us look evil.
All of us.
As the smoke dwindles, he tries to stand but fails at his attempt. I run toward him, cortisol swimming in my blood. I grab his neck and smear his face into the sand.
"You," I growl. "Why'd you do it?"
The bastard actually laughs. "Because if I lost again, I needed to have a loophole that stops you from being victors. I needed people to lose faith forever."
Ash runs over. His sword has disconnected from his ligaments, giving him access to his hand again.
"Let's get this over with," he says. "Just kill him, already."
"He knew," I say, head buzzing with revelation.
Loki climbs down from a mountain of sand and joins us. "Knew what?" he asks.
"He played us for fools," I say.
Lucifer coughs. His breathing is shallow, and his eyes waver. Is he scared of where he might end up? He will be powerless and small. I'd be scared if I were him.
"The world will be rebuilt. But it won't be yours to be a part of," he says.
Ash looks at me. "What is he talking about, Raven?"
"Civilization will detest you for the city's damage," he says.
I land near Lucifer's body, standing over him. My first inclination is to help his dying soul move along a little faster. I want to ring his neck and snuff out the truth of his words, but it's not possible.
The world that witnessed today's events won't look at us like we're gods or angels. They'll think we're devils. And they'll see no benefit to our existence.
"You will die with nothing," I say.
A sharp grin. "You cannot kill me," he murmurs. "Generations will pass, and I will rise again. I will develop a plan and beat you. This world was always mine to take."
I swallow and look up at Ash, unable to respond.
Lucifer closes his eyes and whispers:
"I win."
When he dies, a great light expands from his body, followed by the sudden rush of wind. He disintegrates right before our very eyes.
Should I be grateful? I'm not sure. There's some comfort in knowing that he's gone, but for how long will that be?
Cinder falls from the sky, landing on our heads. Ash sits with tears in his eyes. This war has taken a toll on all of us.