2,022 years ago…
Before Yeshua’s death, where his body hung from the cross, impaled by iron nails, the one who claimed himself as God was given a name by that very same man.
Sheqar Khad, or ‘The False One’.
The name was like that of a brand upon his very being, so much so that he could no longer identify himself as ‘God’.
All those who looked upon him, who had known him for millennia as God, turned their heads aside from him in dismissal.
None would address him as lord, or God, or the Almighty.
Nor would they see him as Father save for his own children, the angels.
Upon witnessing Yeshua’s birth, and the entirety of his life proceeding that, Sheqar Khad knew that he was the son of God.
It was a fact so deeply ingrained into reality, so firm was its truth, that even Sheqar Khad had deluded himself into believing himself to be his own father, though he knew not how.
But upon approach, Yeshua dismissed him with a wave of his hand as he said, “Depart from me, for I never knew you.”
With such strength and power that Sheqar Khad could not understand, his very existence was shunned from Yeshua’s presence entirely.
With a spirit gleaming of unfathomable brilliance and grace, Yeshua spoke to the humans of the world, diverging holy wisdom and knowledge to all, those humble, and those rich. Those dull, and those clever.
Sheqar Khad could not fathom the idea that he was not the ‘God’ that Yeshua spoke of, who created heaven and earth, man and beast, and all the great wonders of the world, both seen and unseen.
To his great shame, Sheqar Khad knew that he as well did not craft the universe from his own hands, merely taking the scraps of what remained from the corpses of dead gods to build a land upon which life might flourish.
When Yeshua spoke of God, he spoke of something far greater, far mightier than anything Sheqar Khad could imagine himself to be, that which was high above all things, seen and unseen in the world.
And yet, when Yeshua died right before his eyes and time itself became divided, he was left stunned at the absurdity of it.
For such a man to suffer so much cruelty, so much barbarism, willingly, to take upon himself the sins of man so they might be allowed redemption…
There had never been such an act of absolute selflessness laid upon his eyes before then.
Then suddenly, before Sheqar could think to process the event of his death, he found his being trapped within Yeshua’s own flesh within the divided era.
It furthered Sheqar’s confusion even further when he watched the onlookers, who had bore witness to Yeshua’s death, pass through him as if he wasn’t even there.
While at the same time, within the other side of the divided era, Yeshua’s body was being pulled from the cross and wrapped within a shroud to be carried away to his grave.
This was the first and only time that Sheqar Khad eyes would reach past the limitations of his curse to see another timeline and the events that would take place.
Yet as Yeshua’s body was carried away, out of his sight, Thor, Apollo, and Sheqar’s own son, Gabriel, appeared to challenge him.
It pained him so to see his own son point a blade in his path, yet there was no avoiding it.
Gabriel had long since come to the same conclusion as he had echoed Yeshua’s own words, proclaiming him to be a false God, a ‘mockery of the true Lord’.
With their swords raised, and their eyes set with an ironclad resolve, they charged at Sheqar Khad to fight him to the death.
For three days they fought, flying through the stars, encircling the planets, and suffering all manners of blows.
With his new flesh-bound prison, Sheqar Khad could no longer wield his power in the same manner he once could and found himself struggling just to stay alive under the relentless barrage of these three warriors.
For three days they fought until finally Thor and Apollo lay dead, with their blood soaking the ground beneath his feet, and Sheqar’s hand wrapped around his own son’s throat.
Yet even in the face of absolute defeat, Gabriel would not yield to him, secure in his faith to the ‘True God’ as he claimed, and accepted his death without fear.
But then, as Azrael witnessed Gabriel’s death at his hands, her grieving scream unleashed chaos upon the world.
Gods appeared, Angels descended, and Demons emerged from the fires of Hell to slaughter each other without mercy all around him, far from the eyes of the humans.
Samael threw himself at the whole host of angels, Cassiel engaged in combat with a woman of Draconic nature, and Lucifer lay unconscious in Hestia’s arms.
All the while, only a single human among them appeared.
Cloaked in Darkness and Death, Sheqar thought it to be Erebus, but he was wrong.
So deep was the Humanity seeping through his very being, this nameless human slaughtered the angels by the millions.
At the sight of his brethren being massacred, Michael, perhaps Sheqar’s greatest pride, challenged this human alone, only to be swiftly killed as well.
This human, this...abomination, then turned his eyes towards Sheqar, and the singular human rage burning within this man’s eyes became uniformly fixated on him as he approached him.
Understanding the threat that this impossibly powerful human possessed, Sheqar thought to use the Luminosus Praevalens Blade, which he had crafted from Adam’s own flesh, as he stabbed this nameless human at the very center of his soul.
This blade, which was crafted to dominate all things in creation with the light of God, rending all things beneath it in the face of its power, became embedded within his chest and the human fell to his knees.
But then, to Sheqar’s amazement and horror, the human stood, took the blade within his grip, and pulled it free from his chest.
The power within him then began to morph the blade into a dark, monstrous thing, and all the light shining from the blade was snuffed out. Engulfed in the bottomless abyss that was this man’s power as he assumed ownership of the sword that Sheqar had crafted, and turned it against him.
Fearing for his life once more, now that his greatest weapon was taken from him, he lunged for one of Gabriel’s own swords.
Perhaps by chance, or fate, or sheer bad luck, Sheqar’s hands wrapped around the Blade of Acceptance, crafted from a soul foreign to the world of Terra.
It was made to absorb all magic, energy, and attacks alike. All that might threaten the wielder would be taken upon the sword and thrown back at the aggressor at the owner’s whim.
Yet the soul within the blade was unruly and unwilling to serve Sheqar’s will, unwilling to let go of any power taken upon itself.
It took every blow of the black blade this nameless human threw upon it, accumulating a terrifying mass of power until finally…
Sheqar was knocked to the ground as the sword could suffer the blows of the black blade no longer.
This nameless human man, with the black blade raised above his head, pierced through the air as it made its descent towards his heart and soul.
In that moment, he felt with absolute certainty that his life was forfeit. He would die, at the hands of a human whose race he had seen as beneath him.
But then, the blade in Sheqar’s hand shattered, and with it, all the energy from it was released at once.
Before Terra could vanish from his sight, he was witness to three things that instilled a deep fear into his heart.
The sight of Azrael, driven insane from grief at the loss of both Gabriel and Michael, as she swung her blade at Samael’s neck.
The face of the nameless human becoming clear and the realization of his identity flooding his mind.
And lastly, the sight of Yeshua in the divided era, rising from the dead.
Then…
Sheqar fell, tumbling upon the ground, coughing blood and shaking from agony as the toils of battle with Cain, the human he had cursed so long ago, still afflicted his body.
Cain had ascended to reach a domain of power so great and mighty, that it might even transcend his own.
In the midst of battle, he could not recognize him as the nature of his being was unrecognizable to that of a human, yet still he was undeniably human.
He had become so truly human that it bordered on divinity.
A baffling contradiction in his eyes, yet it was true.
Sheqar knew not where he had ended up, but he only hoped that it was far and away from Cain so that he could recover and mount an offensive against him.
He would need to find a way to kill him and fast, lest he become too powerful.
But then, a chill ran down his spine as the voice of human divinity reached his ears.
“Ahh…now it all makes sense,” Ruvick said as he looked down at the broken and beaten form of Sheqar as a shadow was cast upon his eyes, furthering the fear and trembling in his flesh.
The Human Divinity turned to face him entirely, while Hestia’s spirit lay on the ground beside him, and said, “To think that you would appear before me, now of all times.”
But then, if the sight of this human wasn’t enough cause for fear, a different presence caught Sheqar’s attention as he looked past them and the sight of two primordial gods drew his gaze.
A woman, with the wings of a Seraphim, yet brimming with the power of Rebirth.
And a man, closely resembling his son Lucifer, brimming with the power of Wrath.
“W-What is...happening,” he forced out.
With an amused smile, Ruvick answered, “Oh them? I wonder about that…did you appear in this world, at this very time, barely avoiding death at my hands, just to witness the gathering of the three Primordials that would end your life?”
Before Sheqar could muster up an answer, the Human Divinity flicked his left wrist and the very same black blade appeared in his hands as he said, “Or maybe...fate has delivered you to me so I can end your life here and now.”
In the very next moment, Ruvick’s black blade fell upon him…
Ruvick…
...only for the sound of clashing swords to reach his ears as its path was stopped by another.
Standing in his path, in his way to putting ‘God’ down for good, was Lucifer.
“YOU!” Ruvick snarled at him as The All Black grinded against his new sword, crafted of the concept of Sin.
Upon seeing him, Hestia let out a choked cry as she hadn’t seen him in so long, “Lucien…why are you…here?”
Lucifer’s eyes did not diverge from Ruvick’s stare as he pushed back his sword.
As he took a step back, he noticed that Cassiel as well had appeared behind ‘God’, with five Ophanim in tow as they clasped iron chains around his neck and wrists, preparing to carry him away.
Glaring at the Lords of Sin and Virtue, Ruvick said, “Explain yourselves. Now.”
Cassiel opened his mouth to speak, but Lucifer held up his hand to stop him.
“Why should I?” Lucifer asked.
Ruvick’s grip on his sword tightened in anger at his words, his teeth grit, and his body trembled in fury.
“What right do you have to take him away from the tip of my sword? What right do you have to his life, when that claim is RIGHTFULLY MINE!” Ruvick roared.
Lucifer smiled and said, “Whatever claim you may think you have to killing our Father is irrelevant. At the end of the day, you are still just a human meddling in things you do not understand.”
“I am firm in my belief that you have that backwards. It is YOU who does not understand Lucifer,” he spat back at him.
“Lucien.”
Ruvick blinked.
“What?”
“Yeshua gave me that name. I expect you to use it.”
“I could care less about your preference of names. Answer me.”
Lucien sighed and said, “I wish to fix this reality, and that cannot happen if Father dies. His power is needed to repair The Chasm left upon creation and craft the true afterlife to house all souls.”
His eyes then moved to look upon his son and he smiled.
“It seems that Marcus has grown to be an enormously powerful man, along with my...granddaughter. What a strange feeling…,” he muttered, angering Ruvick further.
But this left him with a burning question.
“Why did you leave Marcus for Hestia to care for alone?” Ruvick asked.
The question seemed to bother Lucien as his expression faltered and his eyes slowly shifted back to him.
“I didn’t. I was brought to this world against my will, five thousand years ago. I...never wanted to abandon my son,” he answered, and it seemed to be genuinely truthful.
“Then why don’t you go see him now?” Ruvick asked.
“I can’t. Not until the work is done,” Lucien said firmly as he waved his hand and ‘God’ disappeared, along with the Ophanim and Cassiel escorting them.
Ruvick took a step forward to stop them, but Lucien stepped in his path, brandishing his sword to keep him in his place.
“Your vision is flawed Lucien. Whatever plans you have, whatever you think is going to happen, I can promise you it is going to fail. You won’t be able to contain Sheqar, and Erebus certainly won’t allow you to succeed regardless,” Ruvick said to him.
“Erebus does not command creation as I do, nor do you, Cain,” he said, with venom pouring from his mouth upon uttering the name of his former existence.
Ruvick furrowed his brow as he said, “Cain is gone, and I, Ruvick, am what remains. You have no idea what I am truly capable of.”
Lucien…
The Lord of Sin raised his hand to halt creation and Ruvick’s body, shaking horribly with anger, froze in place.
As he had thought, even a being of Human Divinity could not manage to best that which commands creation itself.
In this brief moment of absolute silence, Lucien chose to speak to voice his true thoughts, even as he knew no one would hear them.
“Truth be told…I don’t want to do this. Any of this. But I have to. I know that Azrael is holding my son hostage, but I have to leave that struggle to him and my granddaughter to solve alone. If I interfere, even a little bit, it could throw everything I’ve worked towards into chaos. Erebus...has given me this one out. If I do this, take Father’s power, and use it to fix the damage that has been done to this world, then, and only then, can I embrace my son the way I’ve always wanted to…you have no idea how much I’ve missed him all these years. When I finally saw him walk into my shop…I wanted to cry. My son finally appeared, but he had already become a man. I hadn’t been able to watch him grow, to see his childhood play out in front of me the way human fathers do. I fear that, when Marcus finally rids himself of Azrael, he will come to understand that same regret. At the end of the day, we are all slaves to fate in some regard,” Lucien rambled as he looked Ruvick in his unmoving eyes and sighed.
He picked up his sword and said, “You as well…Ruvick. You are just as much a slave to fate as I am. Which is why you have to die, here and now. I cannot have you interfering with the events to come.”
As he raised his sword to strike him down, taking his eyes away from him for barely a moment, he returned his gaze to him just in time to have Ruvick’s hand wrap around his throat.
W-what? How? He shouldn’t be-
“-able to move? Do you truly believe that Creation is the border of power in which I cannot cross? You arrogant fool…,” Ruvick growled as he tightened his grip on Lucien’s throat.
“How can you-?” he tried to ask, but Ruvick’s grip was too strong and started to cut off his air.
“I know that you cannot manipulate causality outside of creation, which means that you are powerless beyond it,” Ruvick said as he looked behind him at Marcus and Moyako.
“Do you see those two? Your son and granddaughter? They have a role to play, one that you cannot circumvent. They will remain at the end of The Final Era, and I will stand at their side to put the edge of my blade against your Father’s throat,” he said.
Lucien’s expression finally shifted to that of anger and frustration at the sight of Ruvick’s stubbornness and said, “I will not allow it. I will...take upon that...role alone!”
He then dropped his sword and pressed his hand against Ruvick’s forehead as he said, “Even if...I cannot kill you…I can keep you in your place!”
As creation was set in motion once more, Lucien regained his power over causality enough to take hold of a singular memory.
Yet still, Ruvick resisted his power.
“You won’t succeed! Erebus will betray you and Sheqar Khad will escape! All your plans will fail and you will have nothing!” he shouted as he gripped his sword and tried to raise it to strike Lucien down.
I will rid the world of the memory of Moyako being Marcus’s daughter, and of Azrael’s possession. That alone will secure the future!
Ruvick appeared to read his thoughts as his eyes flared with anger once again.
“You wouldn’t dare-!”
“I will and I must!”
Ruvick dropped The All Black just so he could punch him in the face, yet Lucien’s hand remained upon his forehead as he took hold of the memories and was prepared to rip them from Humanity’s consciousness.
But just before he could finish the job, Ruvick spoke with the full Authority of Humanity as he said, “Lucien Wright, Fallen Seraphim of Sheqar Khan, the False God, and Lord of Sin, you will die in the scorched ruins of Lindyll by my sword. Your brethren will be slaughtered by the forces of Hell and your Father will descend upon the world, to be put to death by my blade. This I promise.”
This prophetic deceleration, leaving Ruvick’s mouth, made him shudder with fear. As if a countdown timer had been place upon Lucien’s own life.
As he ripped free the memory from the world, Lucien spoke to him one last time, “We shall see.”