Netherworld
"I must say, I've really changed my mind about humans," said Lucifer, unable to hide his admiration as he watched how humans lived nowadays. "I should thank the Father for stopping me back then."
"..." – Kojou could only stare at him strangely upon hearing those words.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" – Lucifer asked when he noticed Kojou's bewildered gaze.
"It's just… I never imagined the infamous Lucifer admiring humans and even wanting to thank his Father," Kojou said with a confused smile. The person before him was nothing like the legends he'd known.
"Well, if you'd told me this in the past, I would've laughed in your face. But after living for so long, I'm no longer the same as our original self," Lucifer said with a shrug. "You could say I've matured since then. Though, I can't speak for the other fragments—everyone grows differently. But I doubt any of them still carry the original personality of Lucifer."
"So that's how it is..." – Kojou said, a little perplexed. He hadn't lived nearly as long as Lucifer, and couldn't fully grasp what he meant.
"That's how it is," Lucifer smiled. It was oddly refreshing to see how innocent his original self had become.
"By the way, do you know how many fragments the original Lucifer was split into?" – Kojou asked, a question that had piqued his curiosity, especially since Lucifer had avoided it during their walk through the city.
"No idea. But probably a few thousand shards." – Lucifer shrugged again, clearly unconcerned. "My current strength and memories are only about 0.001% of the original Lucifer, so there must be a lot more fragments out there."
"..." – Kojou's face fell upon hearing that.
"What? Changed your mind and now you want to collect them all?" – Lucifer smirked at Kojou's reaction.
"No, but I do feel a bit disappointed in myself. I was getting cocky with my current power, but in truth, I'm not much." – Kojou chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. The incomprehensible power Lucifer had now was only 0.001% of the original's.
"I see. But there's no need to be discouraged. Your current power is still incredibly strong in this world," said Lucifer with a faint smile. Kojou's current strength, while nothing compared to the original Lucifer, still surpassed Lucifer's present form.
"Are you trying to comfort me?" – Kojou smirked, mocking Lucifer. He hadn't expected the once-ruthless monster to have such a considerate side. As for the strength Lucifer mentioned, it was due to the Title: The Fourth Primogenitor, which greatly enhanced his power, especially against beings with Divine attributes.
"Who knows?" – Lucifer replied with a careless smile, spreading six pairs of black wings from his back and unleashing his magical energy. "So, how about we begin?"
"What a coincidence..." – Kojou grinned savagely, releasing his magical energy as golden lightning surged around him. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Divine lightning, huh? Looks like you have an annoying power," – Lucifer said, visibly irritated. As the first rebel of Heaven, divine lightning had a greater effect on him than it would on others.
"What, is the great Lucifer scared?" – Kojou sneered and activated the Authority: Bird of Prey (Raptor), appearing beside Lucifer and throwing a full-force punch.
Boom!
"Scared? That's a feeling I've never known since the day I was born." – Lucifer grinned with a savage expression matching Kojou's, blocking the punch and delivering a kick aimed straight at Kojou's solar plexus.
Boom!
An explosion of air erupted as Kojou caught Lucifer's leg with his other hand before it could connect with his body.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Within seconds, Kojou and Lucifer exchanged hundreds of punches and kicks, causing explosive shockwaves that echoed across the Netherworld, drawing the attention of its inhabitants.
"Those two... a Campione and a Heretic God," – muttered Susanoo, appearing in the sky and watching the battle unfold below. "That brat must be the Campione served by that girl Ena... but who's that man with such overwhelming power?"
"That man is the first angel in heaven to rebel against the God of the Bible." – said a gentle and elegant voice near Susanoo.
"Athena? You're in the Netherworld too?" – Susanoo said, turning to see the silver-haired, violet-eyed girl. But then he processed what she had just said, and his face twisted in shock – "What!? That terrifying man is Lucifer!?"
"That's right," – Athena nodded. Although her expression remained calm, countless emotions stirred in her violet eyes.
"Well, well~ I didn't expect my troublesome child to be fighting Lucifer himself—and the battle even drew the attention of the gods!" – said a small girl with twin purple pigtails and emerald eyes, staring at the clash between Kojou and Lucifer with fascination.
"Pandora? You came too?" – Susanoo said with some surprise. While he had sensed many gods observing the fight, he didn't expect Pandora to show up in person.
"Of course~ I came to cheer on my reckless little child!" – Pandora smiled innocently at Susanoo before turning back toward the battlefield. "Give it your all, my favorite child!!"
"..." – Susanoo and Athena could only stare in speechless disbelief as Pandora jumped up and down like a cheerleader at a sports match.
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