aka the i-have-no-writing-time-but-still-tried au no one asked for
"This," he began, gesturing to the wickedly curved scythe pointed at his neck, "is just rude."
She gritted her teeth and ignored him, paring her arm just enough to prepare for the final cutting motion, sealing the demon to eternal binding. Or, in human terms, she'd be killing him. Binding a demon to a weapon, in essence, was equal to death. Since they didn't technically have souls, binding them to a cancellation object (Juvia'a scythe, was an excellent example) would end their existence, permanently.
"Come on, you summon me, and then you kill me? Common courtesy! Ever heard of it?" He sneered.
She pressed her lips together and ignored him. "Stop squirming, I'll make this quick."
"All for me? I'm honored." He snarled, struggling against the goddess chains she had wrapped around his body directly after summoning him. "Do you always do this when you first meet people?"
"Only some people," she growled out, stressing the word some like it was demonic. Which, in this case, it definitely was.
"My momma always told me to stay away from bad girls like you," he sung annoyingly, before spitting on the ground. "Pft. Goddess chains – that's cheap, and you know it. Fight me like a man. Er…a wo-man."
"You're a joke," she spit, cursing herself for having second thoughts. He was the first demon who'd had this sharp a sense of humor – in her experience, they just spit fire and acid everywhere.
"A joke? Little girl, what are you, ten? You've barely even lived a human lifetime, and those are pretty pathetic as they are. Look – I'm kind of a big deal down there," he gestured to the flames and the summoning circle below him. "If you kill me – you might get an angry mob of the undead on your doorstep."
"Is that a threat?"
He grinned, revealing rows of teeth that looked strangely…human, so to speak.
"It's a promise."
"It's a promising threat."
"What are you gonna do about it? Pray? Humans are hilarious."
"I'm killing you now." She decided, taking her scythe and raising it above her head.
"Whoa, wait, seriously? Come on, I thought we were having a good time!" He protested, reeling back as the goddess chains glowed.
"Sorry. Just doing my job." She admitted. A flash of something, almost like amusement, flickered in his dark, void-like eyes. They were hypnotizing. She told herself not to get lost in them – for all she knew, he could be a bewitcher, or a deceiver, she just had to…focus…on…killing…him…
"Second thoughts, demon-slayer?" He asked her, morbid curiosity flickering in his dark, dark eyes.
"No! I-" she struggled to finish the sentence, she'd killed hundreds of demons before, why was she holding back?
Because he looks human, the smart part of her brain told her.
Because he looks like a supermodel. The not-so-smart part of her brain whispered back.
It was true, he looked like he was sculptured by the sin of lust himself, firm, chiseled jaw line, smooth, luxurious hair – he was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. And demonic.
"You're hesitating. Why?" he pried her for information, a smile playing at his lips. He had enough satisfaction written on his face, you'd think that he was the one with the scythe, and not her.
"You're different." She answered him, without realizing that she had just given him the upperhand. Familiarizing yourself with a target was foolish, like getting to know your own food before eating it.
"That I am," he admitted, shifting in the chain uncomfortably. "Could you take these off? They're kind of cramping my style."
She cracked a bemused smile. "Nice try."
He shrugged. "Worth it."
She shook off her smile. Right. Back to murdering.
"Can you tell my brother to suck an egg when you…err…run into him? Trust me, if you're a self-proclaimed demon-hunter you're gonna run into him eventually." He requested.
"Uh…sure." She answered, licking her lips anxiously.
Just kill him, Juvia, it's not that hard. One slice, and poof! He's eliminated. One less demon to torture mankind.
"Hey, Juvia?" He spoke, voice unnervingly calm and steely.
"…Yes?" she asked hollowly, wondering subtly how in god's name he knew what her name was.
"You should know just one thing, you know – a tip for hunting demons, from a demon himself." He offered, eyes shining with mirth and grin never once faltering.
"…What's that." She spoke, regretting her words instantly, he looked like a snake who was about to unhinge its jaws and swallow her in one bite.
"Goddess chains," he gestured to the thick, deep purple magic item currently ensnaring him, "are excellent for suppressing demonic powers."
She rolled her eyes. "No shit."
He laughed a bit, like her simple, human antics mildly amused him. It was a laugh that said I'll kill you last instead of haha, you're funny.
"The only problem is," he added, with a small sigh. "They don't work on me."
All in the expanse of a single second, the chains dropped to the floor like dead weight, and she felt something slice the back of her head. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor like a bird shot out of the sky.
Before she could hit the cement floor, surely resulting in a cracked skull, she felt something catch her. Then she was slowly lowered to the ground, like she was something precious rather than a sinful human.
"You amuse me, Juvia Lockser, demon-hunter." He spoke fluidly, like it was all just a fun game and not life-or-death. "I'll remember you."
She felt a white-hot burning sensation on her thigh, before his hands left her waist and she was enveloped in the darkness.