Chapter 9

Warning : This chapter contain some fighting scene. Starting from this chapter, this story is mature rated!

Lucifer had finally made up his mind. He decided to keep an eye on Asmodeus in secret. Things proven to be tougher for him, as the Order was getting more demanding regarding the solving of increasing demonic activity across Japan. It was quite odd of him to make any assumptions, but perhaps the whole demonic activities was related with the day of Asmodeus' arrival. He had also chose to be more concerned about his mission, because he knew that his efforts to protect Shizuka would be futile if he couldn't solve his mission that granted by Satan. Unfortunately, there was something that he forgotten. Little did he know that Shizuka became irritated.

Her mother saw that Shizuka sit next to the windowsill of her bedroom. She seemed to pouted as her eyes wandering at the sight outside of her house.

"Shizuka-chan, why are you pouting? Did something bothering you?", Keiko ask in a concerned tone.

She took a deep breath and replied, "It's Lucifer, mom. I think he's avoiding me. He has been like this since a week ago. He didn't pick up his phone and didn't reply my messages. I don't know what else should I do to contact him."

"Perhaps he's busy. You know that being an ambassador is not an easy job."

"I know that, but he usually has time for me even when he had many duties. Mom, what do you think? Am I being clingy?"

"I don't think so. Both of you always seem to be comfortable with each other. I think it's better to give him some time, besides you must work on your home works too. I also remember that Reina and her brothers have been asking for you to hang out together since yesterday. Why don't you spend some time with them?", her mother advised.

Shizuka thought of the advice. Maybe her mother was right. She had been neglected her friends for a while. She suddenly felt guilty for leaving them hanging these few days. "Okay. I'll work on my homework first, and I'll call them to hang out. Besides, I hear from the news there is a new theme park just opened three days ago and I want to go for a visit."

"Good! Don't forget to tell them about your plans for today. Good luck, Shizuka."

As she was on her way to the theme park with Reina and her neighborhood friends, she cursed her traitorous thoughts. It was not in her to be too suspicious towards people. It wasn't fair for Lucifer either that she became clingy. But at the same time, she felt lonely. I need a break, she thought. She hoped that hanging out with her friends could lighten up her mood.

Meanwhile, in the mansion Iblis made a lunch for her brothers and nephew. She was known for being good at cooking. Not surprising with her title as the King of Fire. She made roasted chicken for them with help from Rin and Beelzebub.

"Thanks for coming today, Rin. I really appreciate your help in cooking", she thanked her younger half-brother.

"No problem. I'm glad to help you, big sister", Rin said. Then he averted his gaze to the King of Insects and asked, "It seems Lucifer is getting busy, isn't it? It's quite unusual to see him like this. He hasn't come out of his room."

"You can say it like that. So many things were on his mind this recently, especially with Asmodeus is coming here. To be honest, actually we didn't know that Asmodeus would visit us", Beelzebub explained to him.

"Why? I thought you have good relation with him."

"We do, but sometimes Asmodeus is... quite odd when it comes to some things. We never thought that father would let him come here either. It's still hard for us to understand. I think it's better to ask Lucifer yourself, Rin", Iblis added.

Rin still wondering of what did they trying to tell him. Rin didn't really know his older nephew, and this was his first time meeting the Prince of Lust. Azazel told him that usually Asmodeus stayed in Gehenna to be close with many of his succubus and also doing his duties as a Demon Prince. So far Asmodeus had been nice to him, but with the way his older half siblings reacted to Asmodeus, nothing seemed to be certain at the moment. Rin actually wanted to ask Lucifer about the matter, but he was afraid that Lucifer would be displeased. He decided to ask anyway. Besides, Lucifer had been silent for too long. Whatever happened next, that could be dealt with later.

"Hey big brother, may I come in?", Rin asked as he knocked behind his door and brought Lucifer's lunch.

Lucifer who was inside his room turned his head towards the door. He felt a little troubled, but perhaps it would be better to know what did Rin want. "Come in", he answered softly.

As Rin came inside, he heard the classic music was at play. Lucifer had always known for his passion of classical musics, especially Chopin's. He usually turned the phonograph on every time he was working. Lucifer was seen to be writing as he sit on his work desk.

"Sorry for interrupting your work. What are you doing?"

"I'm working on my written report. The Grigori Agency asked me to write them after I got home earlier. I was just got home from Chiba."

Rin saw the way Lucifer acted while he worked on his duty. He knew that Lucifer took his job seriously. He already knew that Lucifer was always favored by Satan. Everything that he did was always praised by their father. Lucifer was a perfectionist, that's for sure.

Rin then sit close to him as he saw his oldest half-brother's writings. He gave Lucifer his lunch, which he accepted with pleasure. "Thank you, Rin. I'm sorry I made you worrying over me."

"Don't mention it, I know that you are busy", Rin smiled at him. Then, he saw Lucifer's phone. He was surprised to know that there were many missed calls and messages from Shizuka. "Lucifer, you should see your phone."

Lucifer took the phone from Rin's hands and saw the notifications that were on the screen. "I already knew about this."

"Damn, Lucifer! These calls and messages have been on your phone for a whole week. Why don't you call her?"

"Can't you see? I'm very busy. The Grigori Agency were nagging me since two weeks ago. I can't just abandon my tasks! I promise I'll call her after my business is done."

Rin rolled his eyes at his words. "Yeah, right."

Lucifer furrowed his eyebrows at Rin's behavior. He hated it when his younger half-brother being stubborn. "I know I have been ignoring her, but I do it for a good reason. I want to finish my task first. Maybe I have found a friend like her, and I like spending my time with Shizuka, but still, my task granted by father is my first priority."

"You know that she's my friend, right? I won't forgive you if you hurt her feelings", Rin reminded the King of Light as he pointed his index finger at him. "You better keep your promise, or else."

Lucifer nodded as he ate his lunch. That was his intention from the start. He would like to finish his business first. After that, he wanted to meet her. He had to admit it, he felt lonely while he worked on his tasks. He felt he had to do something for Shizuka after what he had done for the week. True Cross Order had continuously put him on edge by sending him to various places and meet human rulers under Shemihaza and Armumahel's words. The last thing he would like to do for now was to go to the Vatican and submitted his report. Perhaps he could also try to find a best way to hide Shizuka from the likes of Asmodeus while thinking on his way.

Then he prepared himself to heading to the True Cross Order Headquarters. "Samael, I'm going out for a while."

"Okay, be careful brother", Mephisto replied in a relaxed tone.

"Where are you going, uncle?", Asmodeus asked curiously.

"I'm going to the Vatican. Don't make a mess while I'm gone, Asmodeus."

"I won't. Besides, my father would be mad if I do so", he answered as he looked at the King of Time. Mephisto snickered at Asmodeus' words.

Lucifer could only shook his head at their antics. Like father, like son, Lucifer thought of them affectionately. He knew of their habits. Sometimes Mephisto and Asmodeus would work together when pulling pranks on people. Not only that, they also had similar tastes when it comes to humans. They were fascinated by human ways of living. They thought of them to be interesting. Sometimes he hoped he could have their relaxed attitude, even if just a little of it.

Finally, his business in the Vatican was done. Shemihaza told him to take a break for two weeks, something that he deeply appreciated. By the time he arrived at the mansion, Egyn told him that Mephisto and Asmodeus were out for a walk. This could be a perfect time for him. Then he called Shizuka.

"Hello?", her melodious voice were heard. This was his chance.

"Hello, Shizuka. It's me."

"Oh Lucifer! How are you doing?"

"I'm good. You know, I was kind of hoping if you want to come to the mansion. Would you like to come here for a visit? It's been a while since we talk."

"Sure. I have free time today. I'll go to your place after my classes are done. I'm going to be in my last subject."

"I can't wait to see you, Shizuka", Lucifer muttered with a small smile after the phone was off.

Azazel and his younger siblings wondered about what happened earlier. Lucifer looked different. "Who was that, brother?", Azazel inquired.

"You know. I'm sure you can guess."

"That's Shizuka, right? Is she going to come over?", Iblis wondered.

"Yes, she is", he replied.

Azazel noticed that their oldest brother's behaviors changed every time he talked to her. "You look different since her birthday last week. You look... cheerful."

"What do you mean? I'm usually like this. Nothing is wrong with me."

"Lucifer, I am more experienced when it comes to human emotions. It looks like you are in love. Don't you notice the changes in you? I observed that every time you meet her, you get excited. I can't believe you are that clueless!", Azazel said as he slapped his forehead. Sometimes he couldn't believe their oldest brother's personality. The King of Light was referred to as the figure of perfection, but he was so clueless and awkward when it comes to feelings. Understandable, considering how long had he hide his emotions since what happened in his past. It would definitely take some time to teach him about emotional matters. Not many people noticed about his particular weakness.

"Really?", Lucifer muttered as he raised one of his eyebrows. He was wondering about what Azazel told him. He was still unsure about his feelings, but perhaps Azazel was right. It seemed that the King of Spirits was the right person to talk with.

Azazel was known as one of the wisest of all of them. He had observed humans and experienced their emotions for a long time. He was also the most favored by humans for his friendliness and negotiable attitude.

Not long after they were talking, the knock on the front door of the mansion was heard. Belial, Mephisto's butler opened the door as she came inside. By the time Lucifer glanced to his siblings' way, they were gone to their rooms to give them some space. He felt nervous as she stood in front of him.

"Uhh.. Hi, Shizuka", he greeted her with a shaky hand.

"Hey", Shizuka greeted back with a bored expression on her face.

Lucifer raised his eyebrows at her respond. He was surprised to hear the way she greeted him was so different than the way she talked on the phone earlier. He realized the possibility. Could it be that she was angry at him? He knew that he had been neglecting her since their picnic last week. Actually he called her to come to the mansion because he wanted to apologize and asked her to hang out together, but maybe this was not the right time, seeing her in a bad mood.

"So, how is your day? I'm sure you just got home from school", Lucifer asked her. He was so tense, he tried not to fidget in front of her.

"I do. My day wasn't going very well. We got ourselves so many home works for being bad during our presentation in Circle Summoning", she replied with a grumpy face as she sat on a chair not too far from him.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Then they continued sitting in silence. The situation was getting awkward. What am I supposed to do, Lucifer thought hard inside his mind. After a few minutes, he decided to tell her his reason to invite her here.

"Shizuka, I called you here because I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for neglecting you. It was not my intention from the start."

"Why did you call me just now? Do you know how many times I tried to contact you?"

"Once again, I'm sorry. My duties within the Order are getting more difficult day by day. I have to be honest I feel a little stressed out. That's why I want to meet you."

She doesn't seem to be convinced by his words. As he tried to get closer to her, he was even more surprised to see her turning her face away from him. He whimpered. He knew that it was his fault for leaving her hanging, but he didn't have the courage to tell her about Asmodeus. He had enough with making her worried about him. "Shizuka, please. Don't be like this. I wanted to talk to you", he pleaded to her.

"I was irritated, Lucifer! I just wanted to know that you are okay! I'm sure you know the feeling of someone worrying over their friend's condition,especially when they don't have any clue of what they are doing. What do you think am I to you? Someone that you can call when you only needed me? Sometimes I'm thinking that you only want to be friends with me so you can use me, since... I'm a human."

This was what he's afraid of the most; to see her got angry and even worse ignoring him. She clearly wouldn't budge in this state. He should have remembered her flaw. No matter how people favored her so much, not many of them knew about this. Shizuka had a great desire for company. He noticed her fear of loneliness a few moments after they became close. They were just so similar. She may have many friends now, but he was the one she trusted the most.

He suddenly got an idea. Perhaps this could work.

As she pouted, she suddenly heard the sound of a bird chirping near her. She was confused at first. The windows were closed, then where did the sound come from? Then she saw a yellow parrot in front of her. She immediately realized that it was Lucifer in his animal form. She knew that he usually turned into his animal form every time she was moody to get her attention. But she shook her head and continued to ignore him.

Lucifer felt a little hurt at her response, but he wouldn't give up. He would do everything he can to get her to talk to him again. Then he sat on her left index finger and chirped again. This time, Shizuka fought so hard not to give in. She finally relented when she moved her hand and he nuzzled her left cheek with his beak. She was blushing.

"Oh alright, you got me", she giggled as he continued to nuzzle her cheeks. She returned this by stroked him under his beak and the back of his head.

He clearly enjoyed this. She had always played with him like this since she was a little. Every time she was sad, he would turn into this form to cheer her up and it was always successful to get her good mood back. What surprised him was when she rewarded him with a kiss on top of his head.

Lucifer turned back into his human form and laughed. "I knew it! You can never be angry for long if I'm in that form."

"I have to admit it, you look cute."

He suddenly blushed hearing her words. Cute was definitely an absurd word when used to define demons, especially one as strong as him.

Shizuka was such a peculiar girl. He observed that she didn't have any suspicion towards his kind in the slightest, even after all this time during their friendship and in her study to be an exorcist. She was such a refreshing sight to him, and also a potential prey towards other demons. Her purity and kindness can be used against her if she didn't careful; that's why he stayed by her side to watch over her.

"I'm sorry for neglecting you last week. I was working on my duties so I can spend my time longer with you. Shemihaza and Armumahel made so many requests this recently, and I'm trying to finish them as fast as I can. Not to mention, I faced so many rebelling demons that I have to negotiate with, so no humans will be harmed", he told her as he ran his fingers through her lustrous red hair.

Shizuka pitied the King of Light. She knew how exhausting his duties must be. She understood his reasons now. "I see. I just wanted to know how you are doing. I'm sorry if you find me being so annoying. I see that you are a perfectionist in almost everything you do. Even the smallest mistake could make you irritated. I just worried if you strain yourself too much. Even the strongest of people have their own limits. But I know my place. I'm not going to babysit you either. You can take good care of yourself, considering how old you are."

"I'm a little offended you called me old, since I have a youthful vessel but it's understandable", he replied as he wore his toothy grin. "And I don't find you acted that way. I know that you only try to help me relax. Honestly, I am very much enjoying your company. I missed you, Shizuka."

She didn't thought he would speak out those words. Somehow, she felt warm when he spoke to her in such an affectionate tone. Since when did he becoming so attentive like this? The warmth in her chest quickly made its way to her face.

"As my sign of apology, how about we hang out together today? You can pick the place", he offered her.

"How about you help me with my shopping? I need to make a preparation for summer solstice celebration this Saturday. After that, we eat in my house."

"Sound good."

Then they went to the market. Shizuka bought so much stuff : aromatic oils, orange and yellow flower petals, spices, candles, and a piñata. They were so many, Lucifer offered to help her brought them to her house. She told him that she would use some of them to arrange her altar of worship.

"Thanks, Lucifer."

"Don't mention it. I'm glad to help."

"Oh! By the way, you and your siblings should come to my house for this celebration. What do you say? Let's have some fun!"

Lucifer thought of it for a moment, and said, "Alright. I think we can come. That can be arranged."

"I will invite my friends to come along."

Finally, he told all his siblings to come with him to her house regarding the event and all of them were excited. Meanwhile, Shizuka asked for her classmates from both regular class and cram school to celebrate the summer solstice. As all of them coming, they were amazed by the sight. She had decorated her backyard with many kinds of ornaments.

Lucifer saw Shizuka and the girls were making flower crowns and wore them. She looks so cute, he thought.

"Lucifer~", she called his name in sing-song tone. As he turned his back, he was surprised to know that she was carrying a water gun and shot him. She laughed seeing him getting wet. "You can't get me!"

"Oh, I will get you, you naughty girl!" he said with a devilish grin as he took his own water gun and chased her. He laughed even harder as she squealed when he shoot her.

Shizuka and the others continued having fun during this celebration. When she hung the piñata above a nearby tree, Rin volunteered to participate in whacking the ornament.

"Come on, Rin. Whack that piñata! Oh, that was so close!" Amaimon shouted as Rin failed to whack the ornament a couple times.

To their surprise, he unknowingly went towards Ryuji and almost whacked his head him. Luckily Ryuji was able to get down before the stick hit him. "Hey, what the hell are you doing, Rin? Be careful!", Ryuji yelled as he guided him back towards the piñata.

"Sorry! You know that I'm blindfolded!", he said as all of them were laughing. Finally, after a few more attempts, he was succeeded and all of them were rewarded with the candies inside it.

Finally, the part that they had been waiting for the evening : bonfire dance. All her friends were dancing, even Yukio. Then she decided to ask the King of Light to dance with her. She saw him only sitting in his place as he observed them.

"Lucifer, come on! Let's dance with me!"

Lucifer was shy when all of them were whistling on him and Shizuka, but he decided that he wanted to have his time with her, so he stood. At first he felt a little awkward with his siblings watching them both, but as the time went by he enjoyed their dance. The fast tempo of the music got both of them excited. He enjoyed the feeling of her body close to his as they followed the rhythm. Both of them sit next to each other.

Then Lucifer felt that Shizuka placed her head next to his, but this time he was at ease. He had started to get used with this feeling after they were hanging out for a while. He was glad that he could forget about his worries on Asmodeus for a moment. For the first time, he felt so comfortable near a girl. He put his right hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer to him as he placed his head closer to hers.

Rin elbowed Yukio to tell him about the sight and soon, all of them realized what did Rin meant. They had never seen those two being so close with each other in such a way. They looked comfortable.

Azazel smiled seeing to Lucifer's way. It seemed that their oldest brother can managed himself pretty well at the moment.

"Shizuka, wait for a second. Your hair is in quite a mess", Lucifer told her as he picked up the flowers that fell from her head. He reveled in the soft feeling of her strands against his fingers. He had always admired it.

There was one time when he was furious as one of his shameless fangirls bullied her and forcibly cut her hair out of jealousy. He noticed how sad she was when her knee-length hair was cut more than a half of its original length and in a messy cut, but he comforted her. He told her that she was beautiful in her every looks. Since then, he adored her hair and never let his fangirls get too near to her. He had a thing for red hair, something that his siblings always teased him about whenever he was with her.

Lucifer was aware with Azazel looking at both of them. He wanted to talk to his younger brother, and he was done in helping her tidying her hair. He moved to sit in front of her and caressed her cheek gently. "Shizuka, I hope you don't mind, but I would like to have a talk with Azazel. I promise it won't be long."

Shizuka was blushing with the way him being so gentle to her. She had never received so much attention from a man before, but she couldn't deny that she was starting to like it. "Sure, go ahead."

He nodded as he stood and walked towards the way of the King of Spirits. Azazel and Lucifer then went a little far from the crowd, so they could talk in private. "I see that you were observing us since we danced earlier", Lucifer stated.

"I do. I have never seen you being so comfortable around a girl before. I have to say, you had good changes since this past week. This is a first time I see you being so attentive to her."

Lucifer became silent as he thought of what he wanted to say to his younger brother. "You know, I have been thinking about what you told me."

"Really? I want to know. I'm curious, considering you had never been this open before."

Lucifer nodded and explained, "I have to admit that actually I'm still not quite sure about my feelings. But one thing that I know, it's getting even stronger every day. I guess you can say that I'm starting to attracted to her since her fifteenth birthday."

Azazel understood his words as he witnessed his face got redder. Hearing him said this was already enough for Azazel, considering how flustered he was.

"I still don't have the courage to tell her about my past", he said in a worried tone.

"Why don't you just tell her? She has the right to know. It isn't fair to keep her hanging that way. Besides, I'm sure she can accept whatever you told her."

"It's not that simple, Azazel! I'm afraid she would leave me if she knew the truth."

Azazel sympathized with the King of Light. Every demon in Gehenna knew him as one of those who suffered the most during his past life. He had also experienced so many wrongdoings from humans, which made him bitter towards them, so seeing him being around one without showing any sense of animosity was remarkable. He knew Lucifer only wanted someone who can understand him. He could only hope the best for his older brother. Suddenly, Lucifer was coughing, which gained Azazel's attention quickly.

"Lucifer, are you alright? Why are you coughing all of a sudden?"

"I-I'm alright. It's nothing. It's going to stop soon", Lucifer replied between his coughing fit.

Damn it! Something is not right, Azazel cursed inside as he holding his shoulders. What the hell was going on? Lucifer was usually fine. He became suspicious. Sometimes, Lucifer had a bad habit for didn't tell people when something is happening to him.

"Lucifer, I think it would be better if we going home now. You need rest", he advised.

"But I can't leave her, not until the celebration is over."

"My goodness! Can't you see your condition? I'm sure you must have been using your powers too often in your missions. This could affect your body! We have to go home and get you some help, now!", Azazel admonished him impatiently.

He couldn't fight his younger brother, especially in his current state. He could only comply at his order as he felt his body getting weary with each second.

Suddenly, he froze. He felt someone with a massive amount of power was nearby.

"Lucifer, what happened? Please, don't make me worry."

"Can you feel it? I think that father is here in Assiah."

Azazel tried to make sure about what the King of Light tell him, and he realized that Lucifer was right. Their other siblings must have been aware of Satan's presence by now. Both of them exchanged glances and nodded. It was time for them to go home, especially as they look at the twins, Rin and Yukio were tired just like their friends.

Lucifer then went towards Shizuka's direction and said, "Shizuka, my siblings and I want to go home. I think you need rest too. All of us are tired. I'm very much enjoying this celebration. Thank you for inviting us."

"Okay, be careful", she smiled as she placed a kiss on his right cheek.

Mephisto then using his key for all of them and in less than a second they were back in the mansion. All of the Demon Kings were surprised seeing their father was there.

"Wow, all of you look exhausted. Where have you been?", Satan questioned as he sit comfortably on one of the cushions.

"We were just attending a celebration. We are going to bed now", Lucifer answered as they were going to go into their rooms. However, Satan stopped them from doing so.

"Not so fast, my children. I wanted you to come with me, especially you, Lucifer. It has been a while since you gave me a report regarding your activities and missions in Assiah. Many noble demons will attend this meeting as well."

The Demon Kings exchanged glances with their half siblings. They already knew their father would not receive any rejection. They finally nodded.

Satisfied, Satan then slit his hand palm and poured his blood to the floor. In an instant, a Gehenna Gate appeared.

All of them entered the gate and all demons were shown to be waiting for them. Lucifer saw that Asmodeus was among the crowd. He waved his hand on them as he saw his uncles and aunt. Then the god of Gehenna led the way to the meeting room inside his castle. Inside the room, so many noble class demons already took their seats.

"I hereby present you, Satan-sama and the Demon Kings, along with his twin sons, Prince Rin and Yukio Okumura had arrived!", one of the goblin demons declared their arrival. The noble demons immediately bowed before them.

Lucifer took a seat on his throne next to Rin and Yukio near their father with Iblis and Egyn sit on his right side. Azazel, Mephisto, Astaroth, Amaimon, and Beelzebub sit on the right side of their father. The noble demons sit in front of them. Then Satan commenced the meeting.

"Thank you for coming. I'm deeply apologized for summoning you in between of your duties. I officially asked you to come here because here I have my oldest son, Lucifer as our peace representative let us know regarding the update of our relation with the humans in Assiah", Satan declared as he gave the King of Light his time to speak.

"I stand here before you because I wanted to tell you how things are going in Assiah. Like what have you heard from father so far, humans have accepted me quite well. You can conclude that the humans are starting to trust us now, showed from the way they worked with me and my siblings during my diplomatic missions to many countries", Lucifer said in a constant tone. "Unfortunately, I found something unsettling during my duties."

The demons were whispering about what the King of Light had told them. What could happen that made him this upset? Few demons who are known to serve Lucifer and his siblings started to feel tense as they waited for him to continue.

Samael then told them, "When we help our brother during his duties, we faced many high class demons that were rebelling against father's decision."

"I see that some of you were causing terrors among humans and even tortured them while they were possessed", Lucifer added as he averted his eyes towards demons among them with his vacant gaze. He recognized some of them that had been through many trials for their actions. They could only bow their heads with shame beneath his glare. "I suspected that perhaps some of you were conspired against our plans on making a peace treaty with humans. You must know that your actions can affect our relation with those mortals. We understand that not all of you agreed with this. If you have any complaints about this matter, you don't have to put your frustration upon humans. I don't tolerate any anarchy movements. You can just speak to us about your concern and problems in a simpler way, and we can sort things out together to reach better results for both sides."

Not long after Lucifer spoke, a demon laughed in mocking. "Really? Diplomatic ways? Good relation with humans? I don't believe you, Lucifer!"

"Do you have something to say, Abaddon?", Iblis glared at the demon.

"I have many complaints, Iblis. Actually I have been thinking about this since Satan-sama chose him as our ambassador. I don't believe humans will accept you that well, Lucifer. I remember that you used to be cruel towards them in the past! Not to mention, you considered yourself as a demon supremacist and thought that we demons should be the ones to have control over humans whatever it takes. Think about this, everyone! How can a vengeful demon like him change his mind so quickly? It doesn't make any sense!", Abaddon stated his opinion hotly.

Lucifer then stepped towards him, and stated, "You don't know anything about what have I experienced all this time. Actually, I have heard many things about humans from my siblings while they were in Assiah. Humans have developed over the centuries, and some of their ideas intrigued me. That's the reasons why I started to change my mind and wanted to be our representative."

Asmodeus smirked when he heard his uncle talked with the rogue demon. Abaddon had no chance to win in arguing against Lucifer. Besides, he had never like Abaddon in the first place. Abaddon was known as one of the most violent demons in Gehenna. He was notorious for having so many enemies, humans and demons alike.

Lucifer continued, "During my duties, I see that humans are more open-minded and cooperative than the way they used to be. I'm well acquainted with some of them. I also learn about their emotions, an aspect from humans that sometimes is hard for us to comprehend. I suggest that you don't underestimate them. They are holding so many hidden potentials that make them unpredictable."

Abaddon only snorted as he heard him. When Lucifer was about to return to his throne, Abaddon shot a ball of energy that quickly made its way towards the King of Light. Lucifer saw it coming to his direction, but he didn't have the time to dodge the attack. As it hit him, Lucifer fell to the floor with a loud thump and created a large crater, making the demons screamed at the shocking sight. This quickly turned the situation inside the meeting room into turmoil.

"Abaddon, what have you done?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Someone, get help for Lucifer-sama!"

"Lucifer-sama, are you alright?!", some of Asmodeus' succubi asked his condition and tried to help him stand.

Satan and Lucifer's siblings became uneasy. They never thought Abaddon would cause riots in this place. They became concerned for Lucifer's condition. The god of Gehenna had heard about Lucifer's current problem regarding his vessel from Amaimon, and he just hoped that the King of Light was okay. He started losing his patience at witnessing all the commotion. :Abaddon, stop where you are!", Satan yelled at the demon.

Abaddon walked arrogantly towards Lucifer who was coughing heavily from the attack and said, "To be honest, I am very disappointed. We were used to be on the same side. It seems that living among those humans making you soft. You are getting weak! You are not worthy of your position as the King of Light! Especially, I heard the rumor that you are befriended one of the humans, a pure hearted young girl and you fell for her!"

Samael grimaced. He knew that something was about to happen. What did Abaddon possibly want? That imbecile had no idea what was waiting for him. The King of Time knew that it was not going to end up nicely.

"Everyone, I want to make a challenge. Right now, I'm going to make myself a new candidate as one of the Demon Kings of Gehenna and took the position that the King of Light possesses. I promise that during my duties I will surpass all his achievements! Show me your support!", he announced towards the demons. But none of them make a sound or acted to support him. They only stood in silence as they saw Lucifer stand behind Abaddon's back without him knowing it.

"Oh my, this is not going to be good", Egyn muttered as he closed his eyes when Lucifer was about to give a payback on Abaddon.

Egyn and Samael's assumptions were proven to be correct as Lucifer suddenly attacked him. As he crouched on the ground , he created a strong explosion of light from his right hand-palm that he directed at Abaddon. It quickly sent him flying towards the wall and creating a hole in it. Abaddon felt his whole body was torn apart as he screamed in pain.

"Surpassed me? Took my position? Do you know how ridiculous you sounded earlier? As always, you make yourself a wrong move. You have forgotten your place, you fool!", Lucifer laughed at him maniacally. His face showed them all, a perfect picture of his concealed insanity. His eyes was glinting both in fury and madness. Lucifer smirked maliciously and licked his lip in enjoyment of seeing Abaddon's pain.

Azazel was frightened at Lucifer's sudden change of behavior. The demons in Gehenna were afraid of the King of Light for a good reason. Lucifer maybe considerate, but he was not so forgiving when it comes to those who stepped out of the line and even challenged him. He also had a maniacal side when he was furious as a result for his terrible experience especially during his vessels' constant deterioration. As the second most powerful demon next to Satan, he was almost undefeated and no one dared enough to make a move on him to this point. Those who were fighting against him met their demise in his hand; imprisoned, put in shamed or even killed.

Without giving any chance for Abaddon to move, in a speed of light Lucifer was already in front of him and holding his neck with his right hand. He got closer to his face and said in a menacing tone, "Do you really think that being a Demon King is going to be easy? If it's easy, every demon would do it. In order to be a Demon King, the great amount of physical or magical powers is not the only requirement. You also need broader sense of knowledge and intelligence regarding your range of powers and understanding towards other lower demon that you are going to rule."

Lucifer still remembered that the competition regarding powers and positions in Gehenna was immense, despite the balance in power difference possessed by every demons. This was his reason for not getting too close with female demons. He didn't want to be used only to gained powers and titles.

"I still don't believe in your every word! I know every single one of our kind that were trying to survive met their ends in your hands. You have always been known to force yourself and your views on other beings including humans! You are too strict, and seeing the circumstances, I believe your current vessel is having a problem, right? The vessels that you are using can't even last longer than ten years. I see that you couldn't stop yourself from coughing since the meeting began and I'm sure the one you're using now is not going to last for long", he grinned, which made Lucifer tighten his grip on Abaddon's neck.

"I did those also to please father. You know how demanding he can be. Your stupidity and stubbornness astounded me. You know that it's a mistake if you are trying to challenge demons stronger than you", Lucifer let him go. "You must feel glad that I don't like killing someone at the moment. You are right about the condition of my body. I'm letting you go for now. If I found out that you caused any mayhem in the future, I won't be so lenient. Get out of my sight."

Satan finally stood from his place. "That's it! The meeting is finished. Abaddon, you are no longer accepted in this court. Get out!"

The said demon then huffed and walked on his way towards the door. Before he got out, he turned his gaze to Lucifer, "This is not going to be our last meeting, King of Light. I will make sure that your mission failed."

"I highly doubt that would happen. Why? Because I'm highly prepared, and I'm a Demon King!", Lucifer wore his cocky smile.

"Some prideful Demon King you are. No wonder humans recognized you as one of the demons responsible for pride, first and the deadliest of the seven deadly sins."

After Abaddon excused himself from the room, the King of Light could feel that his coughing fit returns. This quickly gained the attention of one of Lucifer's most loyal underlings, Paimon.

"Sire, let me help you!", Paimon offered his help, which Lucifer quickly accepted. The demon then helped him walk so Lucifer could sit back on his throne. Lucifer groaned in considerable pain as he sits. "Are you alright, Lucifer-sama? Let me get you some help."

"I only break a few of my ribs. It's nothing. I have been through much worse than this. Besides, I can feel my body is starting to heal on its own", he reassured his particular companion. "Although, perhaps she would not be pleased if she knows."

Paimon raised one of his eyebrows. She? Could he mean that it's the human girl that Satan-sama said was going to be his future bride?, Paimon thought.

"What are you going to do, big brother?", Samael asked the King of Light.

"I think I'm going to stay here for a while. I need some time to rest, also to heal my vessel."

"Kyaaa! Lucifer-sama is going to stay!", the succubi squealed in excitement. They gathered around his throne and helping Lucifer opened his upper attire to heal himself with his powers. As he did so, they were also running their hungry hands all over his newly healed chest and abs. Asmodeus was laughing at the sight. He knew how they adored the King of Light so much.

Lucifer could only shaking his head at their actions, but paid no mind to it nor telling them to leave him. His first priority was to heal himself, for now. He still couldn't believe his concealed maniacal side would re-emerge earlier. He thought of how Shizuka would feel if he showed her his deadly side. Now things were getting complicated. It has been revealed that some of the demons were after him and his best friend. He would need to work on his strategy in order to face them.

A/N : Hi guys! Surprise surprise! Welcome to the new chapter. I know that I have leaving you guys hanging, so I decided to reward you guys with a new chapter. As you can see, this story reveals more of Lucifer's true personality. He maybe a demon with decent sense of morality, but he's still dangerous nevertheless. That can be shown in his fight with one of the noble demons, Abaddon. I hope that the fighting scene is suitable to your taste. By the way, as the spoiler, everything that happen in this chapter is just a start of a bigger problem. You will know in the next update, and I will do so next month, so stay tune! Don't forget to give likes and reviews! I will greatly appreciate it in order to continue this story. Have fun with reading this chapter!