Back on the Improved Earth or IEARTH as Kai liked to call it, his conversation with Lucifer was reaching its climax.


    "Is there anything else you''ve got to tell me? Or I can finally get out there to test the forest''s freshness? Just my deserved holiday—is all I ask, y''know?" Lucifer pressed the last bit of information Kai might possess, the final stepping stone towards a resting day he was looking forward since forever.


    "That was actually all." The blondie replied, attacking the annoyed aura around Lucy with a giant, radiating smile.


    “Good, then…” Lucifer''s voice echoed through the bustling street, his loud scream drawing every eye in their direction. He did not foresee that his exasperation and mental fatigue would ally so well with the untested strength of his body, which resulted in an unintentional sonic wave that was sent towards the sky, crushing the clouds, revealing the full capacity of the new sun. He tuned down the scream and continued, “SHOW YOURSELF! I’M RIGHT HERE, WAITING!” Vendors paused mid-haggle, pedestrians froze, and even a street musician stopped strumming his lute, the awkward silence amplifying the absurdity of the moment.


    Kai, visibly panicked, scanned the area frantically. "What are you screaming at? Is someone in hiding?", visibly shaken by his friend’s act.


    Lucifer, with a face that balanced exhaustion with irritation, shrugged nonchalantly. "Not sure. I figured if I screamed loud enough, all my troubles would show up at once. Save me the effort of dealing with them one by one. Efficiency, y''know?"


    Kai''s panic shifted to incredulity, trying to process the rationale. "That''s... that''s not how trouble works, Lucifer."


    Unfazed, Lucifer gestured expansively. "Hear me out. I’ve already been through enough to warrant a rest. Let me recap for you: First, I enter some meaningless, illogical war. Then I get stabbed by fate." He emphasized the last part with an incredulous laugh. "After that, I tear through the space-time continuum against my will through instincts alone, spend eons watching them beasts improvise death! Even I gave up, and that''s saying something. Then, I wake up in some ruin-dungeon thingy, greeted by a complete fresh new world. Followed by a welcome party, where the event organizer tried to slam my companion into the ground, and finally, a meteor bird decides to test my patience. Then I get out, I thought it’s over, it can’t get any worse—you show up."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Kai opened his mouth to object, then thought better of it. He folded his arms instead, his face caught between disbelief and mild offense.


    "And now," Lucy continued, unfazed by the growing crowd''s murmurs, "I’m trying to condense all my problems into one convenient battle royale. Genius, I know!" Brilliant or not, he still felt the weight of countless eyes boring into him. Beast kin, centaurs alongside minotaurs, humans, gorgons—all wearing the same type of sunglasses—and all sorts of fantastical creatures had paused in their tracks, their gazes fixed on him with varying degrees of curiosity, amusement, and suspicion. The silence was thick, as though the world itself had drawn a collective breath, waiting for something to happen.


    Lucifer, unbothered by the attention, met their stares with his own gaze. "What? I can stare too!" he shouted, his voice still quite loud. He locked eyes with several of the onlookers, daring them to look away.


    His gaze settled on a figure in the distance—a girl standing confidently among the crowd. She was an oddity in the sea of fantasy races, yet strikingly beautiful. Long, pristine white hair cascaded down her back, shimmering like snow in the sunlight. Her eyes of hypnotic blue sapphire, like swirling galaxies frozen in time, focused on her smartphone, unamused by the scene that took place. A pair of angelic wings extended from her back, soft and fluffy. They seemed to refuse the embrace of the sun, of the light itself, rebelling through their dark colour.


    Her outfit was unlike anything Lucifer had ever seen: an inspiration in itself, starting with a kimono-like top, paired with short jeans, and tight-fitting tights that highlighted her grace. She wore her uniqueness with effortless elegance, radiating an air of… superiority.


    He held her gaze for a moment longer, the woman''s expression remaining consistent. With a flick of disdain, she turned away, her attention shifting back to the device. Yet, before fully disengaging, she shot him one final, piercingly menacing look.


    Kai, his voice tinged with hesitation. "You...?"


    Lucifer sighed through a faint grin, his eyes glinting with a mix of weariness and determination, "Yeah, but..." continuing before silence took over, "Will I really not be allowed rest?".


    Kai stared at him, dumbfounded. "No exhausted human can crumble the sky when tired, y’know? That’s insane."


    ...


    Lucifer''s grin widened, "Sanity''s overrated anyway."


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