Chapter 525 - Smash (1/2)
Sitting cross-legged, Lucifer waited. Luring an opponent by threatening those weaker than the target had never been his style. But, thousands of years with someone like Kaal and Dream would... 'Who am I even justifying to?' Lucifer sighed, his gaze drifting towards a certain location, 'The higher the rank, the greater the restrictions to become an Undead... nobody chooses this path, but still stumble upon the rotting of their selves.' Standing up, his feathers actually waving slightly due to the sudden gust of wind, the undead seraphim held his sword with the sheathe still covering the edge. The pitch-black sheathe with light blue edges glowed. Finally, as the ear-piercing shriek rang quite far from him, the man waved his sword, and in wake of his attack, all the trees and branches were sliced from somewhere in the middle.
It only took another gust of wind for the trees to start collapsing over at Lucifer's direction. Unfurling his wings, wide enough to hug eight chunkies together, he flew high. Finally, as he avoided the first of the many titan trees in the surroundings that fell, finally creating a large spotlight with blessed golden sunlight touching the trees' barks after many years, the raven-haired seraphim observed a headless monster with rotten wings flying around aimlessly. Its figure barely surviving the dust-raising collapse as Lucifer's grey skin glowed brightly under the reflection of the sun.
{Not the reference of twilight, but the pale skin simply took on golden light temporarily}
Narrowing his gaze over the untended wound of the undead creature, Lucifer chuckled, his voice finally spreading in the empty surrounding, ”Undeads run at my beck and call, Nik... Faran.” Instantly, the headless vulture stopped and perched onto one of the many broken barks as Nik slowly walked out of the carved out back, shaking his head in annoyance. Looking up, for the first time, Nik felt a little less... intimidated by Undead Lucifer, considering that it was their second face-to-face encounter.
”So... hello?” Nik tilted his head. The first objective being getting as much information as possible from the man and only then getting violent. The only way to start a conversation, as Nik has been taught, is through greeting. With his expression kit brightly that even made Nik reconsider the threat the man posed, Lucifer nodded, ”Well, hello! It's been a long time since someone even has the courtesy to greet...”
'He is socially awkward,' Nik nodded internally, ”Can we... discuss things at a level comforting to the eye. You looking down and me continuously looking up is simply... redundant. Here.” Taking out two one-seater sofas from his Dream Core, Nik placed the two facing each other but with quite a distance between them. Finally feeling out of place, Lucifer's wings retracted as he freely fell over the trunk, unsurprisingly well after the fall and then walking over to the sofa. Observing it for a few seconds, the man sat as Nik produced a table in front of Lucifer, glass, and wine already present before sitting and doing the same. Next, he looked to his left, a little unnerved by the approaching hosts who still held their caution of observing from far away. After all, any person with the strength of cutting such sturdy trees is not to be messed with, considering that they are all Rank 1 hosts.
”It feels comfortable. Discussing like this,” admitting candidly, Lucifer smiled, ”Are you aware of your origins? Or do you want me to dispel the confusion you might be facing at the moment.”
”I really wish that Kaal wasn't my previous incarnate, if that helps,” Nik added with a wry smile, pouring himself a glass as Lucifer didn't indulge himself with a glass. ”It doesn't,” the man refused, his wings raised and resting on the armrest of the sofa, creating quite an amusing picture. ”At our... my level, a grudge can continue past many generations and incarnations.” Revealing a bit of information that gave Nik a little understanding to Lucifer's and probably, countless other stuck up experts of his rank, the apostle continued to listen patiently, ”Of course, I would like to say that despite the cheapness of using your homeworld as leverage, it is the result that has placed me in a great mood.”
Not losing his composure and finding a chance to redeem slightly, Nik didn't let go of the pretentious, easygoing smile. With one hand waving in dismissal, and the other pulling the glass closer to his lips, Nik whispered, ”It doesn't matter much. The homeworld you might be talking about is a migrated one. I am already thinking of trying and get into a world with better conditions and form of energy.” As he spoke this, Nik drank from his glass. Hearing Nik, Lucifer furrowed his brows before sighing softly. ”As carefree as Kaal... a little hateful, but understandable. Forming bonds only causes weakness.” Now ignoring the hate Lucifer might hold for Kaal, Nik measured the man's expression. Probably Lucifer got the idea of invading his homeworld out of his head, maybe not. But now, there remained an undeniable risk that the moment Nik returned to his homeworld, it might get wreaked...
”However,” placing his glass on the table, Nik inquired with an honest expression, unwilling to hide his curiosity, of course, a facade he put on once again. Truly, he should already get an acting skill for himself. ”How would you even know my location... I mean... that's an invasion of privacy.”
”Gegege,” chuckling weirdly, making Nik's lips twitch, Lucifer grinned, ”The lowest level of divinity can get your position easily. It doesn't even matter, truly. As long as you have a soul, anybody in existence can divine your position.” Without giving out any countermeasures, Lucifer continued, ”Let me satiate my curiosity. How did you know about Kaal?”
”The smartass appeared in front of me himself.”
Nik heaved a deep sigh. He had figured that he might just be able to get the information he wanted and talk his homeworld out of a great threat... but the moment he looked at the cross-armed Lucifer looking at him with an earnest expression, Nik felt like giving up. It was extremely underestimating and insulting to think that a monster capable of being his era-old grandpa can be manipulated easily. ”Man... why you gotta hunt me,” Nik groaned in distress to which Lucifer instantly snapped a reply.
”Because... I have considered your previous incarnation a rival for far too long. A mentality that now bears a pressure far too much to handle. I hate Kaal, not you. A man who is incapable of differentiating his grudges is simply far too weak-minded... but, I still need your death under my hands. No hard feelings. After that, I'll cut that bitch D—”
”Wait, wait!” Nik hurriedly interjected, making Lucifer express an annoyed look as Nik inquired, ”Were you probably going to name Sky? I mean, your sister and the Seraphim's daughter?”