I think that this is a fine analysis of the mythology of Final Fantasy XIII. But although it is true that much of what happened in the first two games can be viewed as fated or preordained, I believe that the series can also be viewed through the lens of choice.
The “inevitable” end of the world has already been averted twice because of the choices that Etro made. Likewise, her choices have dictated the choices of other characters, such as Caius. What makes Lightning Returns interesting is that it represents the endgame, the result of countless choices - and it contains perhaps the most important choice of all.
Bhunivelze has chosen Lightning as his champion. He has offered Serah to Lightning as compensation for her efforts, but it seems unlikely that he can actually restore her given what he know about his powers (or lack thereof when it comes to humans). What will happen if Lightning finds out that Bhunivelze cannot, in fact, bring Serah back? I doubt she will be so eager to carry out his will then. She may even begin to question what she believes to be the truth regarding his intentions. Her choice - the choice to carry out his will - may very well hinge on what she discovers.
Alternatively, if we assume that he can actually restore Serah, we must ask ourselves if Lightning has learned anything from her experiences with Etro. If she has, she should know to question the will of the gods. After all, she’s already been used once. And how heavily will she weigh Serah’s life? It is one thing to say that Serah is the most precious thing in the world. But would she truly hand the entire world over to Bhunivelze for Serah’s sake, especially if it turned out that what Bhunivelze wanted was the complete opposite of what Serah would have desired. Perhaps after all she has endured, what Lightning wants most is a world without gods, where the choices people make are truly their own.
By choosing Lightning at such a critical juncture, Bhunivelze has left himself very vulnerable. He needs her to stay loyal to him until his goals have been achieved. If Lightning does not - if she chooses to forsake the purpose he has thrust upon her - his plan may fail. Worse, she may even side with Mwynn if she feels that improves her chances of truly getting Serah back or saving the world. The worst possible outcome for him would be for Lightning to work out a way of guiding souls to the new world while also making it impossible for him to enter that world (in much the same way that he is barred from Valhalla). It’s happened to him once before, who’s to say it can’t happen again?
The concept of destiny, of a preordained fate, is also an intriguing one. What makes it more intriguing is that we cannot truly know until the critical moment arrives whether or not it is true. But there is another, perhaps more intriguing, question to consider. Clearly, Bhunivelze is not omnipotent or omniscient - he would have seen Etro’s interference coming and prevented it if he was - so he cannot be the force that has preordained the flow of events (if indeed events are preordained). Who then is that force? I would consider it a philosophically hilarious twist if, in fact, all of this has been planned by Mwynn so that Bhunivelze can confront her in a realm where she might be stronger than him (seeing as he won their last confrontation).
It would be the ultimate lesson and revenge against the being who tried to kill her. More than that, it would represent a complete and utter destruction of any illusions of control that Bhunivelze might have (and his behaviour suggests that he craves control) because it would mean that everything he’s done, everything he’s planned, has played into her hands. It would be a supreme victory, and the greatest of moves in a contest between gods. Even if Bhunivelze survived that encounter, the psychological damage such a defeat would inflict would be enormous.
Well, that’s my two cents.
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