Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Rulers and Romance. Enjoy the 2000-word chapter. I don't own Helltaker, Vanripper does.
Lucifer frowned as she realized that this battle was almost entirely inevitable. Her people demanded a duel between her and Meph to settle this war. She wanted nothing more than to make some sort of excuse as to why they didn't need to do so.
Meph was a powerful demon. She was aware she was similarly as powerful compared to him. The queen of hell didn't want to be forced to battle her enemy if it was at all possible.
'Damn him for putting me on the spot. Damn him for this. Why couldn't he just submit it to me? It'd all be easy if that was the case. We'd both be happy….' Lucy thought as she looked down at the table where a certain object sat.
It was a framed photo. One that had been here before the coop. She looked at the photo with interest as she ran a hand through her temples. She remembered that it was a photo of her and Meph from when he was king of hell. The smaller demon was smiling and holding a mug of coffee and a plate full of pancakes with Meph giving a thumbs up to the photo taker. She remembered that photo as plainly as she remembered her attempt to seize power. It had been rather shocking for Meph who tried to fight.
He hadn't touched her if Lucy felt her memory was correct. She had thought it had been weakness on her part when it came down to it… Not she realized it was the fact he didn't want to harm her even if he felt betrayed.
'How can one man want to be so humble without a reason? What am I asking about? He wanted to protect me and valued my position as one of his servants… And I was too stupid to think he wanted this war.' Lucy stated to herself before she frowned to herself as there was nothing she could do or say.
"He's here, ma'am." Lucy heard as she nodded and waved the skeleton away from its post.
It wasn't like her warriors were a match for the man from who she had taken power. She wasn't stupid enough to consider herself much of a fighter either.
"How are you?" Lucy asked as she raised an eyebrow towards the door with interest. "I'm almost ready for this duel. It's an older tradition than either of us. How do you know it so well?" Lucy asked with a sigh.
Meph frowned as he realized this woman was still off guard. She was still dumbstruck by the idea some small part of him still cared for her. This woman had no real idea what happened at the end of the day. She had no real ambition in her life when it came down to it.
She didn't know what it was like when it came to tactics or how he thought. It made Meph frown as he realized this woman didn't know a lot about him despite their years of teaming up as a pair. He had rather fond memories of those days considering they had been a team at the moment
Then again? She had betrayed him and it was clear they had two different ideas about the underworld than it seemed. Meph didn't hold it against her.
"Luce," Meph said with a frown as the former king and new queen of hell faced the other. "Are we to begin?" Meph said as the pair slowly started to walk towards each other.
Both looked towards the other while they stared at the other. Both were interested in how this ended. If it ended? They'd not have anything left to fight over. The idea bothered both of them at the moment considering neither wanted anything more than to go back to the way they were before this had happened.
She glanced at him. There was a look of haggard interest across his face which told her all that she needed to do when it comes down to it. He was perhaps to do next what to do next. Still? There was a lot more in his life that needed to be handled.
And there was a lot more bad blood between it came down to it. He had so much on his mind when he saw her. She was a light at the end of a giant tunnel which meant he had far too much to do when he considered it. He had far too much inside him simply to retire from this path. He had one too many attempts at glory inside of him and she had too much pride not to try and seize the throne.
"If I surrender? There will be no respect for either you or me. It will seem as if I cannot even fall with honor." Meph said before he tapped her on the head. "And if you surrender? It will seem as if you are too weak to operate." Meph said while he rolled his eyes and slowly moved towards the window a second later.
His window. The one whom he had been in front of time and again. It had been so long a time that he honestly didn't seem to remember the idea of when he had been here last. Honestly? The idea was a much foggier time in his head than he expected. Now it was simply a memory in the back of his mind. One which he didn't at all seems to be disturbed by when he questioned it.
He stared at her with an interest that seemed to be noticed easily. It wasn't as if he didn't find her company at all comforting. She had been at his side for too many years for him to simply toss those memories to the side.
"How many times had we waited for something to come and handle the problems at the door?" Meph questioned with a raised eyebrow towards her. "It feels as if it's been for centuries. I lost count of how many times we had been dealing with wars or assassination attempts." Meph stated before he pondered what to do when it came down to it.
She seemed to look around at her as she seemed to ponder what to do next. She started before he pondered as to how to do this.
Still? He had a lot to do when he came down to it. She stared at him while he frowned to himself. She was a lot more interested before he seemed bothered by her while he crossed his arms and seemed to stare at her before he honestly seemed to be interested.
"This wasn't easy to do, you know," Lucy stated before she crossed her arms across her chest. "There's been dozens of times I second-guessed myself. Why did you need to be so damn good at leading that made me falter?" Lucy questioned with a frown as he rolled his eyes.
"Then why do it, hmm?" Meph questioned as he crossed his arms and loomed over the woman in question. "There had been so much we could have done. It didn't need to end that way. I trusted you. How many times did I treat you more like a general than a servant? How many times did I honestly enjoy having you around where we enjoyed the other's company? You want to be the one who is guilting me when it comes down to it?" Meph questioned to which his former lieutenant could only frown.
She glanced at him, attempting to muster some sort of venom. Damn him, damn him for daring to make her feel bad about becoming the queen of hell. It wasn't fair now, and it wouldn't be fair when he considered it. This hadn't needed to come down to their battle, she should have just backstabbed him and been done to it.
"There's no way this ends with any of us winning, Luce," Meph said with a frown as he sighed to himself. "We aren't going to be able to end this without someone being broken. If you honestly think I want to fight you? Then you are insane or blind. I never had any reason to. I never wanted to. I'm not going to unless I'm forced into it." Meph said while he seemed to pace back and forth in place.
She seemed to glance at her friend and looked to the side. It had pondered what to do next. There was no way out at the end of the day. If she killed him? She'd be without her friend and mentor if he killed her. Then he'd no doubt be miserable when it came down to it. The longer they delayed meant the more people would expect something to be wrong. She didn't wish to fight her old friend to the death if it was at all possible for that to be averted. Meph didn't seem to relish the idea at all either as he stared at her with a sigh and a frown.
Still? There was a lot more on their mind. A lot more interest in what was coming when it came down to it. This had become a lot harder when it came down to it. There were a lot more curious things when it came down to it. She had become a lot worse because of this, and he had lost a lot of the power that he had made him at the second.
Still? There were a lot more questions when it came down to it. She had become too used to this power when it came down to it. She had a lot harder at the second on people in an attempt to maintain the power that she had become used to. This had become a lot harder for him to confide over knowing the power she had on this place was starting to slip, to fall apart more and more with each second. It had been pathetic, but it still stung with each second that they had to do at the second.
Honestly? There's going to be a lot more on their minds at the second. The more it came down to it? The calmer he felt he lost at the time. This had become a problem. The sooner this ended.
The second this ended at the moment, there were going to be more guards around them. The second this plans a lot weirder.
He had a lot more problems when it came down to it. This had become as if she had become hard for him to fathom. It had become a lot worse than what happened at the moment. She seemed to consider her options more at the moment.
She seemed to be curious when it happened as if this happened. There was far too much on the line for them to both one another when it came to their topics. The sooner this ended? The sooner they could focus on ending this good and proper. Yes, that had been a delight he'd savor at the end of the day. A delight for all of this place and one whom he'd hope ended well and properly soon.
Yes, every emotion he felt needed to be realized with time. This was where their path ended the second. This was going to be interesting.
There were so many emotions when it came down to it this. No more games.
Author notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show both Lucifer and Meph fighting each other and all that. The next chapter will be 900-6500 words and will be a lot longer than this at the moment. The next chapter will be delayed at the moment and will be a lot longer than this one at the second. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!