At first there was only silence, broken suddenly by a chuckle from lucifer. He grew in mirth until he was laughing outright, then his laughter increased in hysteria until it seemed he had lost his mind. He laughed and he laughed and he laughed, until his subjects would begin to feel unease at his reaction. Abaddon at the least would find it a bit strange yes? That after telling Lucifer of all the challenges and dangers about him that he had to face, he would only laugh?
He continued to laugh, slowly it died down to a fit of giggling, in between gasps of breath he would say "Is this it then? Is this as far as you lot have evolved? Is this as far as you've come? It would seem you are most correct Abaddon, and you know what, you actually do deserve an apology. You were right to scoff at me, and I was oh so wrong to punish you for it, to place you in the boiling pits of blood of the phlegothon. But you are also right, Belphagore, things have changed, all has changed, and my subjects have long forgotten me and my rule. And Duriel, loyal Duriel, you too are right, right to continue your loyalty to me, right to be thankful for all I have given you."
In that moment, an impossible to deny thought would have occured to all three of those before Lucifer. He was agreeing with them, and he was being far too nice. If any of them had any wisdom to them, a sudden suspicion and great fear would grow on them.
"And you are also correct" He continued. "That I have been away a long long time... Long enough that many will have forgotten what I am capable of." And then his voice was cool, colder than ice, colder even then death. There was no hatred in it, no anger, nothing. It was the cold calculated voice of logic, reason, and judgement. It was the voice of command that only an angel of the highest chorus of the light would ever have held. It was a voice that did not care. It was the voice of fate.
And with that voice all things changed. The four of them were no longer in the grand hall as it had been. The pillars, floor, the ceiling, everything shattered into shards of stone, metal, glass, everything changed. Abaddon, Belphagore, and Duriel would suddenly find themselves bound in place, their bodies impaled in every joint of their body. Abaddons hair would be caught by shards and pulled hard, Belphagore's skin would be in flames as countless miniscule peices of glass crawled into him and moved across in cycles and patterns through and under his body. Duriel would find himself sealed in a box of jagged points, so that a movement unasked for would have him cut and shredded.
The message sent was clear, and became only clearer as Lucifer continued the torture. Those who looked around would notice that this was no illusion, this was reality. Lucifer's will had been done by the realm of his existence. In this place, his power was absolute, and his will was law. To disobey him was to ask for annihilation, and pray that it would be given.
"Do you see yet? Do you understand? You come here, insulting me, claiming me weak, ignorant and incompetent, and I respond to you with calm, with peace. Do you understand now that you were spared torment and pain only by my own restraint? Have you gotten it through that skull of yours, "lord" of sloth?" He stepped towards Belphagore, and with each step a spear of stone or steel or what have you would stab itself into Belphagore's body, 30 steps he took to the demon lord of sloth, so that when he reached him, Belphagore was impaled in ways that would pain him unending for eons, but the demon was not given the release of death. "Do you get it now, you ignorant child? I was, and indeed still am, the greatest of the angels. My power was as close to divinity as any power could be. For believing I was great enough to challenge my master I was cast from grace to reside here, and here I am master, and all things that are here are MINE!" with this last, the guise of a man robbed in grey rags was cast aside, and Lucifers wings were made bright. So bright and great was his presence that all else was dimmed in comparasion. Beautiful flowers looked withered and dead next to the feathers of his wings, women with pristine faces were as hags compared to his visage, Olympean men of greatness were weak, knobby kneed, and sick old men compared to his stature. This being of purity and perfection stepped then over to Abaddon, whose body would be pierced through knees and elbows with spears. "You were very right, Abaddon, and you are also wrong. I have changed, and I have learned from my mistakes, which is more than you have, apparently. Lucifer raised a hand and the spears holding Abaddon were no more, and what pain she would have experienced was suddenly gone as well, save the relief that was reminding her of how much better she was now that the pain was gone. "And I am sorry, truly, for what I did last time. It was not a fair punishment, which this you have felt now, is."
He then stepped to Duriel, who would be trapped by razer shards keeping him from moving even an inch without being cut. "And you, Duriel, you arrived late. But you are loyal, and have ever been so. For that you are not punished, but reminded of how following can prevent you of pain. Of how moving or acting without being told." He gestured to the cage of shards imprisoning Duriel "can result in unfortunate.... accidents." And with that last word the cage was broken and Duriel was freed.
Lucifer was then, with a suddenness, sitting upon the throne. The hall was as it had been, with the exception that Belphagore would yet be impaled with barbed spears of stone. Abaddon and Duriel would be free.
"And let this be your reminder, Though I have been gone, I am not diminished. Where once before I was the master of all of hell, so I still am, and will forever remain. Should you challenge me again, then you shall be punished, fair and just."
His presence would remain from then on. And upon the throne no longer sat a man in grey rags, but the Lord and King of Hell.
Lucifer Morningstar, Master of Hell, had returned.