"It's not that bad."
Arthur's expression returned to normal as he retorted.
Lucien chose not to pursue the matter, Arthur's grin was creepy enough as it was, if this new version of him found out that it creeped him out, there was no doubt that he would be grinning a lot.
"Why do you want to kill your father?"
Lucien chose to ask, changing the subject, but it was only when the words left his mouth that he realized how stupid they were.
"Because he's my father.... I don't need any other reason to want to kill him, do I?"
Arthur replied.
"....I suppose not."
"See, you get it."
He leaped down from the tree, landing with ease.
"So, are you going to agree, or not?"
Arthur asked, extending his hand.
Lucien stared at him for a few seconds, as if judging him and at the same time, weighing Art's words.
{Agree}
The voice of the demon in his head resounded.
'I was always going to do that.'
{Of course you were, freedom slave}
'That's a new one.'
{As new as the prince before you}
'Mood swing.'
Lucien thought, knowing it would hear him.
For an evil demon, it surprisingly had moments when it didn't whisper murderous thoughts into his head.
Instead, it interacted with him normally. Not too close, but not distant.
"Okay."
Lucien answered, taking his hand.
"Let's finalize it with a pact."
Art suggested.
"No."
Came the swift reply.
….
"Are you ready?"
Lucien asked.
Both of them were at a distance from the quack's hospital.
"Do you have a spare skill?"
Arthur asked in response.
"No."
"There's your answer."
Art answered.
'I know I asked for this, but I can't help but regret it.'
In the game, Lucien and Arthur weren't known to be best of friends, even before Arthur turned evil they weren't best of friends. Arthur had even experienced Lucien's hospitality firsthand, the boy had gripped his throat with the intent of choking him to death.
'I really feel like I'm going to regret this.'
But he had already begun with it, and the least he could do was carry it out.
'I need to have a feel of Lucien's strength.'
Being strangled was not enough to gauge it, he needed more.
'No pain, no gain.'
Arthur thought, getting into a defensive stance.
"Ready."
He called out.
As soon as the words left Arthur's mouth, Lucien moved.
Arthur could barely keep track of the boy's speed.
In a moment, Lucien was upon him, his fist already soaring forward.
"The fu—"
With a surge of adrenaline, Arthur immediately threw both arms forward in an attempt to block.
The force of the strike sent him skidding backwards, the part where Lucien struck was steaming.
"The fuck?! Did you take drugs before we started!?"
Arthur spat.
He shook his arm, as if to shake the sting off.
Lucien had infused his strike with his element.
….One of his elements.
Lucien wasted no time in moving, he appeared in front of Arthur, throwing a jab straight at his face.
Arthur immediately ducked, Lucien's strike whistling past his ear.
Arthur used the momentum, dropping one hand to the ground and whipping his legs around in a sweeping arc.
However, his attack did not meet Lucien, the boy simply shifted his weight back slightly.
The boy quickly retreated.
"Why are you running? Scared?"
Arthur taunted.
He regretted it instantly.
Lucien dashed forward as soon as the word's left his mouth.
'He's slower?'
Arthur thought.
His acceleration was sharp, but the follow-through wasn't as clean as it was before.
Lucien threw his fist again.
'Slower indeed.'
Arthur sidestepped with minimal effort, slipping past the strike with ease.
And at that moment, Lucien smirked.
'Shit.'
The boy hadn't slowed down, he had planned it.
Lucien's weight shifted smoothly with the miss, his core twisting, and the foot he had planted into the ground giving him leverage.
His leg moved, landing a brutal roundhouse right at the target.
Arthur's eyes widened as the kick buried into his guts.
He felt the air in his lungs leaving as his body bent unnaturally around the area of impact.
Before Arthur could even gasp, Lucien followed up.
He swung his left fist down like a hammer, hitting Arthur's shoulder and sending him down.
"Goddammit."
Arthur pushed back the bile rising in his throat.
'We just began fighting, but he's almost had me beat.'
That was the worst part.
Arthur's innate ability required him to make direct contact with his opponent, either that or he would have to coat his weapon with essence.
Even if he was branded trash, that didn't mean he did not spend hours honing his hand-to-hand combat.
Yet, Lucien was still demolishing him.
"Since when were you this good with your fists, I thought you were a swordsman?"
Arthur asked as he stood up.
"Natural talent."
Lucien replied casually.
Arthur instantly knew what he meant.
"....Fuck off."
He darted forward first this time.
But, Lucien did not stand by idly, he charged forward as well.
Both of them collided with one another, their hands entangling as they pushed the other person back.
Lucien was slowly overpowering Arthur.
But the former prince did not panic.
He stopped fighting back.
Lucien was caught off-guard as he fell on top of Arthur.
As soon as he hit the ground, his foot connected with Lucien's chest.
The kick sent him flying.
But Lucien did not tumble, he twisted his body mid-air as his palm struck the ground with feline grace.
He landed smoothly on one knee.
By the time he straightened, Arthur was already gone.
{Good for you}
The voice served as a warning, but it came at the last second, obviously intended that way.
The boy pivoted sharply—just as Art came flying at his blindside.
Arthur's knuckles smashed into Lucien's ribs with what he would call a "satisfying crack", causing Lucien to stagger backwards.
Arthur capitalized on this.
He threw a punch, following up with a knee.
Both blows connected.
Arthur threw another punch.
However, this one wasn't as lucky.
Lucien caught his punch. His grip was practically iron.
Before Arthur could wrench his hand free, his opponent's forehead crashed into his with brutal precision.
Pain.... Worse than all the blows he had taken.
He staggered backwards, the pain disorienting him.
But, Lucien didn't give him the time to regain his bearings.
A hook to the ribs.
A knee to the guts.
A direct jab at his face.
Arthur couldn't keep track of all the blows being thrown at him.
He tried to retaliate, to counterattack, but a quick knee to the gut finished it off.
And finally, to end it, Lucien pivoted, his heels whipping around in a perfect arc.
The kick crashed into Arthur's temples.
Or it would have if Arthur hadn't raised his arm to block.
But, despite his efforts, the force behind the strike did true.
He hit the ground hard, his body skidding across the dirt. And at that moment, Arthur could have sworn that he saw stars.
"I suppose you did alright, young master."
Lucien was standing above Arthur.
'I told that bastard to never call me that.'
Those were his last thoughts as he passed out.
[A/N: Support with powerstones. Your support means alot.]