--------

  "Welcome back." She heard Lucifer's voice as soon as she entered the penthouse. She had to look around a bit to follow the voice to the jacuzzi that had been installed into the balcony.

  “That wasn’t here the last time I visited.” She commented as she got closer.

  “I do like to make improvements every now and then. Would you like to join me?” He asked while gesturing with a champagne glass.

  “Sure, why not.” She smiled a bit. Her attire automatically changed into a rather risqué sling bikini as she slid into the warm water and sat on a stone seat built into the jacuzzi. The water was just the right temperature to be enjoyable without being too hot.

  The two of them just sat there quietly for a short while, Lucifer wordlessly pouring her a drink as well, enjoying the peace and quiet as they looked over the night-lit city below them. Lucifer finally broke the silence. “While I did enjoy your temporary vessel, you do look more comfortable in your old body again. Even if you’re quite not at your old strength yet.”

  “I really am. I hope I didn’t disappoint you too badly. Well…with what happened with the Grail War, I actually do wish I disappointed you.” She smirked a bit.

  Luci showed off that charming laugh of his. "Sorry to ruin your fun then. I did kind of hope you'd stick with the System-provided one for longer, but it was really only a matter of time. The only real bummer about it is that I really wanted to see how far you could go with the support of the System, unlike all the other Champions that chose to retain their old abilities. You were the perfect test subject as well. Don’t worry, I benefitted quite a bit from everything I learned from you.”

  “On that note, isn’t all this somewhat superfluous now?” She gestured around her.

  “Well, you still gain some benefit from the stats, even if it’s now limited.” He frowned a bit. “Although, I must admit you’ve only really been limited by the Skill system. Everyone else learns new things from their Skills, but for you, they’ve only ever limited what you can do. Some of them are supportive, but you would’ve been more powerful without that support if you were just allowed to use your full powers.” His frown turned into a chuckle. “Watching your frustration as your telekinesis barely functioned was fun.”

  “So, what now?” She asked.

  He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, now we have a choice. The System isn't really serving its real purpose for you anymore, but it kind of works. We can continue as is. Or, I can remove all the limits the System has been placing on you so far.”

  “Can you do that? And if you can, why not do that from the beginning?” Seraphiel asked, surprised. “You said everyone in this universe is subject to the limits set by the System. Even the gods.”

  “That was until Mother and Father got mixed in. Could you see the two of them being limited in any way by a System of any sort? And you do have a small piece of Father’s divinity. They already set the precedent that you'd be continuing. Even in the case of most Champions, their Stats are descriptive and not what gives them their power. There are rare few exceptions like Shepard who embrace the System as a method of growing beyond their original limits, but you don't really have that problem, do you?" Lucifer grinned. "Besides. You know I don't lie. And I told you in the beginning that the System didn't have the power to summon you here with your full powers."

  “And yet, Mother does. And She helped bring me here, creating my vessel.” She pointed out an inconsistency.

  "She could. But she thought this method was more fun. You know how She is." Luci laughed.

  “I resent that.” Mother’s voice suddenly interjected, appearing in the same jacuzzi with them, although fully in the nude. “It wasn’t just so I could have fun. I genuinely thought it would be fun for Seraphiel as well. And I know you did enjoy most of it.”

  “Mother!” Lucifer protested.

  “What? You’re not wearing anything either. And it’s not like I’m showing you something you haven’t seen before.” Mother pointed out. “Don’t be a prude.”

  “It’s the principle of things. Sephy and I are supposed to be the raunchy ones.” Lucifer protested again.

  Seraphiel smiled at his reaction. It was so genuine she was forgetting for a second that this wasn’t the real Lucifer again. Wait. This wasn’t the real Lucifer…right? A small suspicion started taking root. It hadn’t been in the beginning. The Guide has said as much, and even the Guide version wouldn’t lie. On the other hand, this was just the sort of thing her brother might pull. Switching with the Guide afterwards so there was no need to lie.

  “Again, I resent that. You two inherited more of my nature than your Father’s, but I was the original.” Mother talked just like he was the real Lucifer as well. Although it was difficult to tell with Her.

  Deciding not to make any hasty conclusions, she moved things along. “Going back on topic, what would it mean in practice if I was…placed outside the System like Mother?”

  "Well, you made things interesting when you decided to wish for your original body back, from the time before you killed Slaanesh. You would gain all the power you had at that point in time, and you’d of course still retain your knowledge. The System would not provide you any benefits, so you’d have to do everything yourself, but it wouldn't limit you in any way either. Many of your old abilities from the other universes only need the knowledge to function, but in some cases, you haven't done the work necessary to gain the associated power with this body. For instance, you wouldn't have any Qi, because you haven't trained in its use and have no Qi core. You could certainly do it again and regain those powers, but you’d have to start over and do it without any support from the System. But yes, you’d have access to all the power you had just before slaying Slaanesh. That means all your favorite core abilities would be back to full strength. So yes, you’ll still be able to punch a Reaper to death.” Lucifer explained with a chuckle. “I do know how much you like punching things.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “And I wouldn’t have to participate in any Grail War bullshit anymore either.” She pointed out happily.

  Both Mother and Lucifer made a face. “Ah, well, as to that, things aren’t quite as simple.”

  “Wait, why? What do you mean? If I’d be outside the System, that would mean I no longer had the Heroic Spirit Class either.” Seraphiel narrowed her eyes at the two obvious conspirators.

  “There…was a reason we pushed you into taking the Class.” Mother explained. “See, they’ve been attempting to summon you for a long time. It wouldn’t have worked before you were brought to this universe of course. Afterwards, we blocked any of the summons from taking effect or pushed them into attempting to summon other spirits. We simply stopped doing that when you took the Class. Even without the Class, you’re classified as Heroic Spirit in the eyes of the Grail. The System just manages things. The Class made it official, and rewarded you for accepting the summons.”

  "You're still going to get summoned. Just that you can choose not to accept those summons since you are no longer subject to the System if you choose that path, but the Grail does work a little differently. I'm not sure if there'd be consequences." Lucifer added with a shrug. "You can still get rewards for participating and winning. Especially since now you'll have your old powers back, although limited by the legend you were summoned with." He laughed a bit. "Although that usually doesn't mean much since you never really did hold back all that much. Only the lives where you lived in the body of another being imposed any real limits on you."

  “And if I choose to continue as is?” She asked.

  “You’ll still have some support from the stats, which might even make you stronger in the long run. Your real body unburdened by the System is very, very powerful, but the stats will eventually overcome that. On the other hand, the Skills will still limit what you can do, and you’ll be limited in what you can do by the Classes. You've done an admirable job skirting those limits, but the limits still exist." Lucifer summarized. "You'd continue as is, slowly improving. I can't say for sure which way is better in the end, but in the short term you'd benefit from the first option, as getting all your old power back and not being limited by the Skill System would obviously be an upgrade to your current strength.”

  “No matter how you dress it, the choice seems rather obvious. Relying on myself rather than the System is something I’m going to choose every time. It’s what I’ve been doing all that time before arriving here. And it's not like I can't improve myself without the System. Something like using Qi can be re-learned. Besides, if I have access to my old powers in full, I don't think I have a need to grow stronger. It's not like I'm aiming for some pinnacle of perfection. I simply want enough power to protect myself and those I consider mine. As much as Father tries to push that role on me, I don't consider myself some kind of savior who needs to overturn the entire universe just to save every innocent. And I still remember someone promising the option to leave this universe if I choose to. If things get too bad…well…" Seraphiel explained.

  In some distant past, she would’ve dropped everything and rushed to save the innocents of Coruscant and other such worlds afflicted by conflict, but that sort of idealism was long gone. Peace was a sheltered garden watered with the blood and tears of heroes, and she didn't intend to be that hero. She didn't mind giving a helping hand when it didn't cost her too much, but she would not sacrifice everything for such causes anymore.

  “That was rather expected.” Mother stated, not in the least bit surprised and even a bit smug. “I always thought I created you perfect in the first place. No need to fiddle with perfection.”

  Lucifer nodded with a smile. “I suppose we’ve all grown a little jaded over time.” He reached over the edge of the jacuzzi and pulled a large glowing card out of the pile of clothes by the pool. “Here you go then.” He tossed it to Seraphiel.

  The card disappeared as soon as she caught it, and as it did, it felt like invisible shackles being released. It also felt like a supporting chair being kicked away from under her feet, though the fall after was nothing to a Celestial. Someone with wings had no reason to fear heights, even imaginary ones.

  “I would advise you that everyone with any semblance of Perception is going to feel the difference in you immediately.” Mother pointed out. “You weren’t the most subtle of people in the first place, so this change is not going to be too much of a shock. Just that you’ve gotten used to being underestimated in this universe. That will no longer be true.”

  “Thanks for the reminder.” She said only slightly sarcastically. “Since I’m no longer a part of the System, will I be back here?”

  “Sister dearest. You do remember what your power as a Celestial is, right? You can return here any time you want.” Lucifer stated a little condescendingly.

  “Right. In that case, I have a question. How long has the real Lucifer been here?” She was looking at Mother while pointing at Luci.

  “That’s actually a recent development.” Mother didn’t bother hiding and answered right away, without hesitation. “Your brother came to visit and unlike Amenadiel, there are endless legends about the famous Lucifer. Just like your Father and many supposedly divine beings, your brother unified with all the other legends, and funnily enough, the System representation qualified as one of them. Sort of. It gets a bit complicated. Things back home have taken an interesting turn, so your brothers also have greater freedom of movement. You know, Lucifer was the original reason I arrived here. He rather rudely kicked me out of my own universe.”

  "You were about to explode because the body of Charlotte Richards couldn't handle you inhabiting it," Lucifer argued defensively, before turning back to Seraphiel. "It’s actually not as simple as you assume. There can’t be two Lucifers here at the same time. So, while I’m here, I’m replacing the System version. Since we were so similar in the first place, it’s rather easy. I have all these nifty abilities as well. Did you know I can be in two or more places a once?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  “So how long did it take you to try a threesome involving two versions of you?” She asked with a wicked smile.

  “Oh, the first night of course. It’s the first thing I thought of.” Luci answered just as expected. “Incredibly fun that. Something I intend to explore thoroughly.”

  “Weren’t you dating that Detective of yours back home?” Mother asked.

  "Off and on," Luci stated vaguely. "It's a work in process. But I'm not going to change everything for her while I'm in another universe. I'm Lucifer. She either accepts that, or she doesn't." He did sound a bit bitter.

  Seraphiel moved closer and pulled her brother into a hug. “It’s good to see you, Luci. Really. The real you, I mean. I’ve missed you.” She really had. Lucifer had always been her favorite sibling, and they’d had all sorts of adventures together before she was exiled.

  “You too sister. It hasn’t been the same since you’ve been gone. Maze tries, but she never could take your place.” His voice was heavy as well, filled with emotion. “You know, I was lost for a long time after you disappeared.”

  “I can imagine.” She really could. “On that note though, why is your boner poking between my legs?”

  “Well, sister, you’ve always been rather fetching, and the current circumstances are not diminishing that. Just take it as honest appreciation.” Lucifer laughed, not at all awkward as the two finally pulled away and sat back in the water.

  “How are you, really?” She asked.

  “Managing Hell…was hard. Torturing people, while fun at times, just…isn’t for me.” He admitted. “I like to have fun with people. Sometimes I like to have fun at other people’s expense. But I very rarely want to hurt people. And that’s what managing Hell was all about. Sure, the Demons did most of the work, but…and being blamed for all the evils in the world…”

  She could see the genuine hurt inside him and in his voice. It was cruel what Father had done to him. It was cruel what Father had done to them both. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could’ve been there for you.”

  "Well, I think you might've gotten the worse end of that stick," Lucifer said trying a joking tone but not quite managing.

  “What a sorry pair we are.” She muttered. “Well, no more. Like you said. We’ve both grown a little jaded, but we are no longer what our Father consigned us to be.”

  “Oh, there’s some good news. Father is retiring.” Lucifer said happily.

  “Amenadiel did mention something like that. What’s he playing at?” She asked.

  "I think part of it is that Michael got to him," Lucifer mentioned his twin brother.

  “That bastard is still alive? Still self-actualizing a chip on his shoulder?” She asked sarcastically.

  “Oh, do I have a story for you.” Lucifer’s whole face lit up with joy and schadenfreude, as he started to tell a story about what had happened. It took a long time, but all three of them enjoyed their genuine time together, for the first time in a very long while.