Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Rulers and Romance. Enjoy the 4000-word chapter. I don't own Helltaker, Vanripper does.
She hated this. Lucy did not wish to give up her throne, but she did not want to fight Meph for the rulership of hell. He had been curious about what to do next. Meph's frown told her what to was to happen. He didn't want to be interested in this clash, nor did he plan on battling her at the second.
This was her fault. She had pushed him. She had been the one who couldn't let this go and had to have all the power and Lucy knew it.
"We can still end this peacefully," Lucy said before she glanced at the floor. "You can tell them I surrendered and you took me away somewhere," Lucy stated as she watched her friend sigh and look at the ground. "Why do you constantly need to make me hate myself? I get it, I took over, I overthrew you, why doesn't that make you hate me?" Lucy questioned to which her friend simply rolled his eyes and glanced at her with a look that was half between hate and more than anything simply pity.
He knew her, he knew her better than she seemed to know most people. The fact that he had been one of her friends for so long told her exactly how he had felt about all of this.
He said nothing, simply rolling his eyes at her attempts to try and hate herself so much.
"You can hate yourself to the depths of the seven rings and back, it doesn't mean I have to hate you for it," Meph said before he rolled his eyes as he seemed to glance down at the arena where they'd be facing off at. "Secondly? I don't hate you. There's only so much that you can do to make me hate you. We were friends, Lucy. Even if I might not approve of what you did? It doesn't mean I hate you. Besides, we both know what would happen if I lost." Meph said as Lucy seemed to smirk for a few seconds.
He knew the look. She had always wanted him as a pet to sit at her feet. It had been one of the few things that had been odd, a few things that he'd raise an eyebrow at because she'd be the ruler of everything. He wouldn't lie and say it wasn't at least a little funny considering she wanted him as a toy more than anything.
But she'd never treat one of her servants like trash. There was a lot more between them than anything else. It had been a curiously interesting thing. There was to be more to be done on their minds.
This didn't exactly endear him to anyone or anything. He'd be far too pressed at the time. Still? She expected some resistance, a trick, an idea that had been slowly forced from his brain at the moment. He was a warrior, a king.
"How the hell did you expect this to go, Lucy?" Meph questioned before he raised an eyebrow. "They'd want blood. We both know how these sorts of duels go. You saw the last one yourself." Meph stated to her.
It wasn't a lie. He did oversee so damn much and she had been lucky enough to be in the crowd. She hated the idea that he hadn't hated her, held it against her.
How the hell could he be so calm? So unfazed by this? Did he hold some sort of plan to get out of this? Was he messing with her as of the second? She had to know.
Still? It was going to be interesting for her in the second. This had to end at the time as it came down to it. There was more that had to be done, more that was going to come down to it.
"We aren't going to back down from this, are we? Are you going back? This was going to be interesting. It has to be, there's no other way that either side will back down without some blood being spilled. You knew this yet you wanted it so badly?" Meph questioned her as she frowned and tried to push him away.
Damn him. Damn him so badly for trying to push her into this. Why the hell had he been so nice and caring to damn her over so much?
"Why do you constantly try and hide this?" Lucy stated as she crossed her arms. "Why are there so many problems with just letting me take over the place? I always wanted this and you're making me regret it." Lucy stated to which Meph fell silent.
He had been interested in what was going on and what she had been up to. This was the least surprising thing he had probably said.
He had been so bemused by this. So interested in her next attack. Meph was aware of the fact that she had tried to overthrow him.
"If you want me to hate you so badly? I will. I'm not mad you took the throne from me. Hurt? Yes." Meph insisted as he sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Why are you so calm about being in charge of everything? Why are you so damn calm about how I took over?" Meph stated before he questioned.
Still? There was more going on here than expected at the time. A lot more was to be done and could be done. Then again? She hadn't been the type to do this, nor was she the type to play a game of this caliber when it came down to it. There was a lot more on the line if she didn't win and a lot more, he couldn't do either. He had so much to do as of the second. He sighed to himself before he hummed to himself. He hummed once more.
She had to back them into a corner, she had to try something that could screw them both over when this came down to it. She had a lot more than her reputation on the line if she failed. It had been too impossible for them to fathom as of the second. They had a lot more on the line if it didn't add up as of the second. It had so much when it came down to a lot more than simply a fight to the death between them… Yet she was too stubborn the change and he wasn't willing to let her when it came down to it.
He hummed before he sighed. There was to be more work to be done and little time to do it in. if she was wrong? They'd both be killed by the soldiers and this would go more poorly than anything else. It couldn't be overstated that more work was to be done when it came down to it.
She couldn't wait and he couldn't let her stop him if they had to fight. It was fair only in the idea that both were to come to terms with this as of the second.
It had to be handled one way or another when it came down to a blood bath.
Still? there was a lot more interesting when it came down to it. he had a lot more worth doing when it came down to it. there was so little he could do to end this. So much that he could do this when it came down to this. He had a lot more when this day ended.
He almost questioned what to do next, he'd need to handle a lot of things and that was just one of the many things he had to add to that plate when it came down to it.
Meph could only ponder if she had been trying to do something for a while, it'd not surprise him considering the idea hadn't been something he needed for a while. Then again? She wasn't one for thinking ahead when it came to what she wanted if Lucy wanted it. all that seemed to matter was that she got it even if she had to break all of the rules to do it.
He could only hope if she survived this that she'd manage to find some way around it when it comes down to it. she had the potential to pull it off as of the second. There was still more she could aspire to be when it came down to it as of the second.
She glanced at him while he seemed to question what to say or do next when it came down to it. She had been a lot more as of the second. There was a lot more on the line than both their silly little reputations when he considered it.
Still? she had to deal with this one way or another. It was going to be something insane when either decided on it. there was only so much that could be done at the time being there was a lot more of the question.
He hummed before this came down to it as the second before this ended before he placed a hadn't on his temples. It almost made him question what would happen if he lost to her.
"Don't pat yourself on the back so much that you forget when the dust settles. We're going to be trying to kill each other one way or another when it comes down to it. There was a lot more as of the second. It had to question when this ended." Meph stated before he snapped his fingers across his chest before he sighed.
There was something that had to end when to it. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose before he sighed to himself before he clicked to the time. He hummed before he sighed for a second.
The woman seemed to glance at him. She knew what to do, she knew that there was going to be terror when this ended. They had to brawl with one another once more. He sighed while he clicked his jaw, knowing exactly what was to happen if this wasn't to end anytime soon.
This had been a lot funnier than he expected it to be for the time being when it was all said and done at the time being. Whatever little thing he had here for it. Whatever little thing this had been for now had been something fun for the time being. There was so much more on this plan that hadn't been much of a plan for the time being. Whatever little plan he had, for now, was thrown off.
She conjured a small flame in the palm of her hand which he seemed to question before now. He had been a lot more curious as to what little she could say or do for the time being.
Whatever part of this plan had been put into action had been something that needed to be done for the time being. She was powerful… A lot stronger than she had been before and probably stronger than she'd been before.
"You want all the power even if you have to rip it all down, aren't you?" Meph asked while he tilted his head and looked down at the others before them. "You want the power, but you don't want to own it the way you want. I know enough about you to know you don't want this because you don't want anything… It had been a lot more to see and do than just throwing others' orders and trying to throw things out when it came down to it… It isn't as easy as you think to rule with what you have for the time being and nothing is going to change it as easy as you seem to think." Meph stated before he hummed and sighed to himself before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
He had been a lot more interesting as of the time being. whatever little piece of control she had was slipping and she knew it. She knew she couldn't keep up this sort of thing for long nor could she attempt to control it for longer than she wished.
Still? He pitied her for the time being. he had a lot more to question before he was all done with what to say and do next. This had been fun, but it had to end for the time being when all of this was done. It was a lot more.
It was a lot more to say and do next before now. he was a lot more interested as of the second when it came down to it. he had to be ready for this as of the time being no matter and all else could be done for the time being.
Lucy didn't like to know someone could have any power when this was said and done. He was curious for the time as to what her goal was. it certainly wasn't to beat him for the time being, she had power… But she didn't want the rules that came with it.
She wanted bait, not just bait… But bait to which to fill her trap, to properly contain him within. She wanted nothing more than to be… She was smart, a sadist in the water… But she was smart and he could have nothing but proper respect for her tactics, trying to turn this into a fight, one which needed to be contained and properly dealt with if nothing else, she was a threat, but one he couldn't afford to take lightly in the case of a real fight, he had a lot more to focus on when this was all completed, for now, he had more problems on the horizon, but this wasn't going to be one of them.
If anything? It made their game more amusing, to see something like this properly focused on when all of it was said and done. He had been ready for whatever she tossed at him, ready for the worst she had to throw at him, whatever it was. Well? She'd focus on that the most and ignore everything else… it was part of what seemed to make her so dangerous to everyone else around her for now when push came to shove for the end of the day.
This was going to be something fun, something interesting, and something fun for now. There was more to this, more to this little game they had started playing than it seemed.
She turned to Meph who had fallen silent. She cursed at him, wishing he'd speak, say something. Anything to tell her how he was feeling. That was always how it felt, always how this was. There was a lot more upon which he could have done for the time being.
This always became odd. Always felt as if there was more to this. There was always something with him, always some damned angle which he played. He knew exactly what to do to anger her and he was doing it exactly like how this was going to have it all come apart.
"Stop making light of this, do something, damn you. You always wish to act like nothing changes, but it DOES!" Lucifer stated to which he hummed, looking around as now.
It didn't even make him flinch. He knew that he was bugging her and he didn't care. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy the idea. She was far too willing to rush to action, to point the finger at him.
"If you hate me so much, then kill me. You're going to have to kill me if you want the throne and you know it. it isn't like either of having to kill me to get the throne anyway." Meph stated before he sighed, looking around with more indifference.
Lucifer screeched and lunged at the former devil leader, wrapping her legs around his chest and gripping his throat with her fingers. she pulled herself into his face, demanding her give her the attention.
"There's the Lucy I remember as the second," Meph said before Lucifer felt her eye twitch.
"You…." Lucifer hissed before she slammed her lips upon his, growling as she did so.
Meph was taken off guard by the sudden gesture, allowing her to wrap her tail around his throat as she looked him in the eye.
"You ignored me, you teased me, you have the GALL to come back and act like that meant nothing, and now you want to tease me for this?" Lucifer said to which Meph blinked. "You, idiot, were the only good thing here and you didn't put me beside you. You treated me like I was your second in command, but you never noticed what I wanted, did you… Did you?" Lucifer stated before she hummed looking at him.
"And you couldn't have decided to bring this to my attention BEFORE?" Meph asked, spreading his wings. "I trained you in magic. I gave you resources, secrets… You wanted more, you always wanted more, and you became greedy. Always greedy." Lucifer stated to which Meph was silent.
After all? How the hell could respond to such a thing? It bogged his brain. His very mind felt flayed by a thing. There were a lot more problems for now. This had yet to fully blossom while she seemed to have been for now what to have then it should have been, all this was to end with a scream, a chaotic nightmare when it seemed to end before it was all over before she seemed to be capable of.
She was a lot more powerful than she could have been, something that hadn't yet gotten where it should have been. They had a lot worse problems, one that couldn't have just been solved. She gripped his face, her fingers digging into his skin as she growled, eager to obtain what she had missed before. He only laughed, knowing what she had wanted.
Such things weren't going to have been problematic. They'd become worse and worse with time. All she had to have done to dust and done… She was too angry, too thrown off by now. There was only so much more she could have done… More than this at least.
"We're going to have torn this entire damn thing down because you didn't have the nerve to commit?" Lucifer said while she hissed. "Why can't you submit? Return to my side? I think about you even when I don't want to even slightly focus on it… I can't cut you the hell out of my head." Lucy stated as he laughed at her, too thrown off by this.
She growled as her tail wrapped around his neck, her hateful crimson eyes burning holes into his skull as it happened.
"This place will be something that you will not be able to grasp. You don't know me all the way, Lucy. I know you don't… Because you want to know what it's like. You want to be so consumed by your ambition… It scares me to a degree, but I suppose I'll be able to cope. I've had to cope for now." Lucifer heard as she snorted but said nothing for now. It was such a horrible thing, something that she sighed at.
Well, there were very few things the queen of hell had figured out. One of them was the fact that such problems had crept up on them. It had done nothing besides bring it all to bear. It bared to mention the fact that none of them could have competed with such a thing, she was completely and utterly powerless before her power.
This had yet to break properly. It had yet to give her what she wanted. Lucifer was always like this, she was constantly bearing down on the world and trying to crush it into what she had demanded from it. The idea had been a lot weirder, more meshed together when this was all said and done.
It hurt, but it wouldn't have been the last time they had such power. It was so… Odd, so over the top before it all became down. It'd all end sooner or later. Much sooner rather than later when it was all done.
However? Meph knew Lucy, he knew all of her antics, her traps, her tribulations, her antics. He didn't know what to have to question.
She glanced at him, full of hunger, full of anger, and lust, things that had been there over a century ago, and it had been something that it had come down to it. He questioned before he shook his head.
He didn't at all seem to grasp what she was doing or what he wished to have been doing, it was simply amusing.
"You owe me, you know what we did, Meph… You know exactly what I mean." Lucy stated as her eyes glowed with hellish fire.
"Oh… What exactly did we do, hmm?" Meph asked as he looked around, too amused to anger her question with any real degree of amusement.
Oh, he knew how to rev her engines as did anyone who had ruled over hell. It had been something most of them were well aware of.
"You… KNOW…" Lucy hissed, cutting into his skin with her sharp claws.
"Oh… That night." Meph said as she rammed her face into his. "You're the one who wanted it so badly, Luce. I didn't exactly try to jump your bones when it came down." Meph stated before he questioned before he shook his head and looked at his hand before he sighed to himself.
He hadn't yet seemed to have to focus upon her, he didn't know what to have to have done, how else was this have to end… No, she was a shifty one, someone who shifted under the damn sand as she seemed to find another grasp, another way to have gotten what she wanted.
She was a tricky woman for the time being when it came down to it. They had something that could have been something that should have been while he clicked his tongue.
She wanted war, blood, his maybe or someone else's. He saw the longing in her eyes to be the queen of Hell. It was not something he could grant, not in the position he had been placed in. she knew as well as he seemed to have found it to be easier when it came down to it. There was someone who could have done such an issue when it came down to it.
He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth which he hummed before he crossed his arms, clearly unsettled by her antics when it was all done for the time being. He was already prepared for the time being.
Perhaps for a moment, they'd damn well have to question before now. This was a lot more interesting, minor as it was and it was clear they had a few seconds of silence for now. He didn't at all seem to have been a question what he had found for the fact he didn't have been a question all its own for the time being… Nor did he rather enjoy such ideas… It was not natural.
Meph felt the woman's horrid claws inside his skin. It was worth it, for now, worth more and more of an issue to him as he rolled his eyes and smirked before glancing at her, a look of amusement as she glowered in sheer rage, angry was a lot more to need to question upon she looked around with sheer interest.
Author notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show Lucifer and Meph's relationship and such. Until the 900–6500-word chapter. Lighting Wolf out!