583 The Power Of Lucifer Morningstar, Void's Absolute Pride, Allen's Unlimited Will, Laughter in the Dark, The Masterpiece and The Biggest Gamble in Existence.

Void, the cruelest, most inhuman being and the enemy of all existence, had now become the only one capable of helping Allen.

After their first exchange, Lucifer was sent flying for the first time, but he stopped midair, completely unharmed. Even the previous cut inflicted by Void vanished as if it had been an illusion—perhaps it was.

Void vanished again... When he reappeared before Lucifer, the latter stared at him with a calm, silent, and deadly gaze.

"I don't like that look!" Void launched a kick toward his face, but his foot disintegrated before touching Lucifer. Void instantly reconstructed it—clothing and all—even as he was thrown back by an invisible force.

Void changed tactics. He recovered and pointed two fingers at Lucifer, a black flash appearing at his fingertips. Lucifer shook his head, vanished, and tore off Void's arm before he could fire.

"...!" Void hadn't expected that speed, but his face showed no pain.

"You're underestimating me..." Lucifer said in a light voice.

Allen appeared behind him, palm extended, activating Hakai. But just like with Void, Lucifer tore off Allen's arm in the blink of an eye.

"See? I told you," Lucifer said as he tossed both arms aside.

Allen and Void regenerated their limbs instantly and resumed their assault.

Allen landed a punch to Lucifer's chest, but it caused no damage. In the next instant, Lucifer grabbed Allen by the face and smashed him into the ground, causing destruction so vast it extended to the horizon with no visible end.

"Ahhh!"

Allen used a save point… He grabbed Lucifer's arm, who opened his eyes with a hint of surprise. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Die!" Void suddenly appeared, his eyes glowing. His hand formed a blade, glowing red as it descended upon Lucifer.

"..." Lucifer, watching this in slow motion, smiled. In an instant, he vanished, reappeared behind Void, grabbed him by the head, and slammed him down onto Allen, creating an even greater wave of destruction. It was then revealed that the endless ground wasn't rock but solidified space and light.

Something like that shouldn't be breakable through physical force—yet Lucifer had done it using the bodies of Allen and Void.

Both used their save points again...

Allen knew he couldn't stop. The moment he did, his life would be over. Void launched a concentrated energy attack; Allen did the same. But both attacks vanished before reaching Lucifer. Hurting him seemed impossible.

"Not yet!", shouted Allen.

"Don't order me around!", replied Void.

They repeated their attacks, forming massive spheres of energy—blue and red—planet-sized. Lucifer found himself surrounded by enough energy to restart the universe. And yet, he merely remained contemplative. Void clicked his tongue. Allen frowned. But neither stopped the attack, which detonated on impact with Lucifer.

The explosion was so massive that it sent both of them flying back.

"That was a good attack..."

Allen raised his guard and blocked a punch... only for it to shatter his arm.

"You're disgustingly strong..."

Lucifer smiled. "I wouldn't look down on you—you're quite strong yourself."

Allen saw an explosion in the distance, and Lucifer's smile reflected it.

"You think you're the only one with backup?"

"Bastard!"

...

On Void's side, another Lucifer appeared, and the two began exchanging blows. All of Void's attacks were blocked, and Lucifer's strikes caused severe injuries.

"From what I understand, you're a being who hates Allen—so much you'd tear him apart if given the chance."

"That's true..."

"Then why help him?" Lucifer asked, narrowing his eyes.

The darkness around Void began expanding without limit, covering the endless ground.

"Help him?" Void grinned as a wave of bloodlust enveloped him. "You're wrong. I'm not helping him... I just don't like you. I don't like your existence!"

Void attacked Lucifer, this time forcing him to defend himself. 'His power multiplied… and it's still growing exponentially…'

"Lucifer! You irritate me! I'm not a fucking side character! I refuse to be relegated because of you! I'm the threat! If there's someone to be feared, it's me! I AM VOID!"

"I see... It's about pride."

Lucifer pierced through the darkness and grabbed Void by the throat, surprising him. "However... I am beyond..."

This was Lucifer's first statement with an air of superiority. Void tried to break free, forcing his powers to grow without limit. This was only possible due to his physiology as a God of Destruction, divine ki, the broken limiter of OPM, his cursed technique—which was Allen's technique—and his own comprehension ability, which let him replicate attacks almost instantly. And yet... Lucifer was beyond all of it.

Beyond power...

Beyond abilities...

Beyond everything...

It was only thanks to The Absolute that Lucifer couldn't simply will them out of existence. But even that power, which shielded them from Lucifer's direct influence, had its limit.

"Let me go!"

"Sorry... but this isn't your stage..."

"This is not over Lucifer... someday I will come back! Someday I will tear you to pieces... someday I will be more than you..."

"Oh, that would be interesting to see..." Lucifer smiled.

...

With a movement elsewhere, Allen felt himself losing consciousness as his Bankai was forcibly deactivated. With it, Void disappeared—though his hair didn't return to black.

The first Lucifer sneered, "Tired, kid?"

Allen gritted his teeth, but every punch he threw fell into the void—or was blocked—and each counterattack from Lucifer was strong enough to end a universe.

His vision blurred...

His bones, reconstructed countless times, creaked...

His muscles, torn and regenerated repeatedly, were at their limit...

But even then, Allen refused to fall. He refused to give up. He didn't care if his opponent was God or the Devil. He didn't care what could happen. He didn't care how damaged he was—he had to keep going.

The people watching this battle were speechless... Though in truth, this was never a battle.

The difference between Allen and Lucifer was far too great. The blond man, with a serene gaze, was merely entertaining himself.

Screams, sobs, tears...

Allen hated himself for putting his loved ones through this—after promising he would never be weak again. The system couldn't interrupt the broadcast—because Lucifer didn't allow it. Perhaps out of malice, perhaps mockery... or maybe to respectfully preserve the final stand of a brave young man.

Allen kept taking punches for minutes… for hours… until the save points ran out, regeneration stopped working, and even the fragments were gone…

Allen fell…

His breathing was weak. His clothes were in tatters. His soul and body had reached the limit after enduring infinite growth for so long—and even then, he couldn't see Lucifer's limit.

"I'm impressed..." Lucifer said. There was no falsehood in his voice—he was truly impressed by his opponent.

"Haha..."

"...?" Lucifer's eyes opened wide.

Allen laughed…

Not a laugh of despair,

Not the laugh of a man who had lost all hope,

Not the laugh of someone enjoying the fight,

And definitely not the laugh of someone who had lost his mind…

Allen's laugh was simple, ordinary. It wasn't loud, but just loud enough for everyone to hear. It was as if he had just heard a good joke.

"What are you laughing at?"

The Absolute—while it couldn't affect Lucifer directly—could at least block his influence enough to prevent him from reading Allen's mind.

"While you were hitting me, I started thinking… Why would Lucifer, of all people, want to pick a fight with me?"

"I didn't seek anything. You attacked me over that woman..."

"No," Allen sat up. He was beaten, but his eyes still gleamed."You're almost Omniscient—you should've been able to see what would happen… and yet, you did it, you captured Zatanna, you exposed her in that state in front of me to get this result!"

"..."

"But that's strange for someone who can timelessly understand the world, you anticipated that this would happen, but you couldn't see it with your eyes. You couldn't, and that fascinated you.

"Heh... that's right, I Lucifer can't see Allen Walker's future..."

Lucifer made a glass of wine appear, and Allen was getting up from the floor.

"Also... you're Lucifer. But what makes Lucifer terrifying isn't his power..."

"Oh?" Lucifer smiled with refined amusement. "You just called me almost Omnipotent, and still say my power isn't the scariest part of me? Go on… you've got my attention."

"Lucifer is nearly Omnipotent, nearly Omniscient, nearly Omnipresent… and yet none of that compares to your most important trait..."

Lucifer's eyes narrowed.

"..."

"Free will."

Lucifer's smile vanished, replaced by a cold seriousness. But Allen didn't care and kept going.

"In this world, The Presence is behind everything. Every universe, everything, every soul, every entity, every corner of existence is influenced—some more, some less—by the Presence. But only you, Lucifer, were given the gift of true free will. No fate. No will of the world. No luck or misfortune. No miracles. No 'coincidences'…"

"And what's your point?"

"That's why you created a world for yourself. A world without the will of the Presence. A world untouched by anyone else…"

"..."

"But you got bored reading the end of the book before even starting the first page… In a world like that, your will becomes absolute. Nothing happens that you can't see, manipulate, or control. That's why you got bored… now you have a piano bar where you watch the world with zero interest."

"I love my bar."

"But it's not enough!"

"..." Lucifer stared at Allen in silence before smiling.

"You're right. That power of yours is insignificant compared to true free will… but it is enough to protect you from my sight, my will, my existence. That's what makes it fascinating."

Allen's gaze relaxed and his face became calm. From the very beginning, Lucifer had been playing with him. His power was so immense that just wishing for Allen's death could've ended him. But he didn't. Every time Allen acted, Lucifer's expression was filled with fascination, curiosity, and interest. This being, who could do almost anything—and what he couldn't do was only because the Presence was involved—was paying attention to Allen simply because Allen was something he couldn't predict.

Of course, that didn't change anything. No matter what Allen did, it would only take one move from Lucifer to end it all.

"Lucifer, right now I can't beat you. I can't even imagine how powerful you are…"

Allen's declaration didn't sound like surrender—it burned with fire. His eyes never lost their resolve. His heart still beat strong…

"...!" Lucifer saw this and couldn't help but smile. If he were in Allen's place, he wasn't sure he could've said that.

"Admitting weakness takes a kind of strength that's hard to grasp…"

"That's right. I admit my weakness. But not defeat!" Allen relaxed his eyes but didn't look away from his enemy.

"Give me time. And release Zatanna," he demanded.

Lucifer didn't get offended or deny it immediately. Instead, he looked at Allen with intrigue.

"Mmm… and what are you offering in return?"

"Someday I'll be a challenge for you. But until then, I offer something only I can give you."

"And what's that?"

Allen placed a hand over his chest and smiled with boldness.

"Entertainment!"

Lucifer's eyes widened. Of course. It was true. Allen had been that from the beginning—a source of entertainment. The nearly absolute being curved his lips and burst into laughter.

"Allen, no matter where you go, you'll always be a clown! You're offering me entertainment?! That's your plan?! Hahaha!"

Despite Lucifer's laughter, Allen's expression changed and he declared seriously:

"That's right. Only I can create a future that even your Omniscience can't see. Only I can give someone who has everything… something new."

Lucifer stopped laughing…

In his eyes—those ancient eyes that had watched the universe die over and over again—nothing ever escaped his vision.

Lucifer is the kind of character so powerful that unless you nerf him like they do in live-action adaptations, it'd be impossible to use him in a story.

It was a wonderful move; it attacked the shortcomings of being Omnipotent and Omniscient; this deal was too good for someone who got bored of his throne and left hell.

The viewers breathed a sigh of relief, there was a hope that Allen would come out of this.

But this Lucifer…

"I refuse."

"...!"

Lucifer's response caught everyone off guard. Allen was stunned for a moment but quickly assumed a fighting stance, ready to continue the battle to his death if necessary.

"Don't misunderstand. Your offer intrigued me… but there's a major flaw in it."

"What flaw?"

"You."

"Me?!"

Lucifer ran a hand through his blond hair, combing it back.

"It might not seem like it right now, but only because I'm your opponent… you're actually very powerful."

"Coming from you, that's… flattering," Allen replied with irony. He understood what Lucifer meant—seeing someone like him enter a world and crush everyone instantly wasn't all that entertaining.

"Still… it's too soon to judge."

Lucifer grew thoughtful, then looked at Allen with a sharp glint in his eyes.

"Allen, do you want to make a bet?"

"What?" Allen knew better than to trust the devil. But he had no other choice—no miracle would save him, and no god would appear to protect him. No, even if that happened Lucifer would end it all with a snap. He had to get out of this on his own. Too many people were waiting for him. "What kind of bet?"

"Allen, do you want to make the most dangerous bet in existence to earn some time?"

Allen smiled with a bead of sweat trailing down.

"Do I even have a choice?"

"Don't make that face. It might seem unfair to you… but if you win, you could even kill me."

"What did you say?!"

Not just Allen—the chat fell silent in shock. Lucifer's statement was too outrageous… but not impossible.

Only Lucifer could make a bet that risked his eternal existence.

Only he could gamble like that, having the power to possess everything, and yet… willing to risk it all for the sake of entertainment.

Allen's eyes narrowed. Lucifer wasn't lying—he had no need to. Allen understood… he wasn't in a position to negotiate. He lacked the power to do so.

"I'm listening..."

Lucifer snapped his fingers. Allen's broadcast cut off. No contact with anyone. No one else listening…

Lucifer gave a half-smile and began to speak. With each word, Allen's expression changed. This would be the end of the road.

Allen, of course, agreed. Not because he had forgiven Lucifer for hurting the girls. But because if there was even the slightest chance of repaying the girls' pain times a million... He would take it.

Allen must grit his teeth and resist the devil's selfishness until he has enough power.

Winning meant Omnipotence.

Losing… meant death.

===

A/N: Literally Lucifer swept the floor with Allen, but this could be a victory considering the opponent, well the next chapter is already next Arc.

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