I'm The Devil - Chapter 291

Chapter 291: Lotus Warrior Vs The Monkey King

Nezha’s golden eyes burned brighter as he processed Lucifer’s question. His grip on the spear shifted, the faint scrape of his fingers against the shaft filling the charged silence. The boy’s face was stoic, but his lips pressed into a thin line—a subtle betrayal of his thoughts.

“The only way I’d stop fighting alone,” Nezha began, his voice low but resolute, “is if I could find someone who could make me go all out in a fight.”

Lucifer’s brows arched slightly, his crimson eyes glimmering with faint amusement. He let out a soft chuckle, his tone warm but laced with something deeper, something darker. “Oh, Nezha,” he murmured, shaking his head slowly. His movements were unhurried, almost languid, but there was an edge to them, a restrained energy that hinted at the storm beneath his calm exterior. “You don’t want to go down that route. Trust me.”

Nezha’s gaze didn’t waver. The faintest twitch of his lips might have been a smirk, or perhaps a grimace. “Then I’m sorry,” he said, his tone flat, his spear lowering ever so slightly as if to signal his decision. “I can’t work with you.”

He turned sharply, the fiery wheels beneath his feet sparking as they prepared to carry him away. But before he could move, a third presence made itself known.

The sound of footsteps—light and unhurried, yet brimming with confidence—echoed across the ruined cliff. The faint crunch of gravel underfoot sent a ripple of tension through the air. Nezha stopped, his head snapping back toward the source. Lucifer, for the first time, turned his gaze away from Nezha, his enigmatic smile widening ever so slightly.

Out of the shadows behind Lucifer emerged a figure whose very presence seemed to challenge the air around him. Sun Wukong stepped forward, his golden fur catching the fading light, each movement fluid and precise like a predator poised for the hunt. His staff, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, rested lightly on his shoulder, its unassuming presence a stark contrast to the overwhelming confidence radiating from the Monkey King.

Wukong’s expression was one of measured amusement, his sharp eyes scanning Nezha before flicking to Lucifer with a knowing grin. “The reason he doesn’t want to fight you,” Wukong said, jerking his thumb toward Lucifer, “isn’t because he’s scared of you, kid.” He stopped between the two, his posture relaxed but commanding, his tail swaying lazily behind him. “It’s because he can one-shot you.”

Nezha’s jaw tightened, his fiery aura flaring momentarily at the remark. But Wukong wasn’t finished. He turned fully to face Nezha, his grin sharpening into something more serious, more personal. “But me? I can’t. Not with a single hit, anyway.”

Wukong planted his staff into the ground, leaning on it casually. His expression shifted, his grin fading into a look of focused intensity. “But I do think I can take you, one-on-one. No tricks. No backup. Just you and me.” He tilted his head, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. “What do you say, lotus warrior?”

Nezha’s spear rose again, the flames licking along its edge in response to the unspoken challenge. His expression was unreadable, save for the faintest flicker of anticipation in his eyes. “You think you can beat me?” he asked, his voice calm but edged with steel. “I’ve heard stories about you, Wukong. But stories don’t scare me.”

Wukong let out a short laugh, stepping closer, his movements casual yet deliberate. “Good. Fear makes things boring. And I’ve been bored for a long, long time.” His grin returned, wilder now, the sharp edge of a predator eager for the hunt.

Lucifer, who had remained silent through the exchange, folded his arms across his chest. His expression was one of mild exasperation, though the faint curve of his lips suggested amusement. “You two really are cut from the same cloth,” he said, his tone light but tinged with something unspoken. “Always looking for a fight. Always needing to prove something.”

Wukong glanced over his shoulder at Lucifer, his grin unwavering. “Stay out of this, Morningstar. This isn’t your kind of game.”

Lucifer chuckled softly, raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender. “Oh, don’t mind me. I’ll just enjoy the show.” His gaze flicked to Nezha, and for a brief moment, his smile turned almost imperceptibly softer. “Do try to survive, Nezha. I’d hate for our conversation to be cut short.”

Nezha ignored him, his full attention locked onto Wukong. The Monkey King twirled his staff with practiced ease, the metal humming faintly as it moved through the air. His grin widened, his canines glinting in the light. “So,” he said, his voice low and challenging, “are you ready to see if the stories are true?”

Nezha’s response was immediate, his spear igniting with renewed fervor. “Let’s find out.”

The moment hung suspended in time, the air thick with anticipation. Nezha’s golden eyes locked onto Wukong’s sharp, gleaming gaze, their mutual resolve crackling like a storm ready to break.

Wukong straightened from his relaxed stance, the Ruyi Jingu Bang spinning in his hand with a low, resonant hum. His tail swayed behind him in a rhythm that betrayed his readiness, a predator circling its prey. “Then let’s make this fun,” he said, his grin sharp, his tone daring.

Without warning, Wukong moved.

He sprang forward with startling speed, the ground beneath him fracturing from the force of his launch. The staff lashed out in a blur of golden metal, its tip extending toward Nezha in a calculated strike aimed at his midsection.

Nezha reacted in an instant, his wind-fire wheels igniting as they propelled him skyward. He spun his spear in a tight arc, deflecting the strike with a shower of sparks. His body moved with fluid precision, the air around him rippling with heat as he hovered just out of reach. “Fast,” he admitted, his voice calm despite the effort behind his parry.

Wukong smirked, his feet skidding to a halt as he twirled the Ruyi Jingu Bang back into a ready position. “I’m just warming up, kid.”

Before Nezha could respond, Wukong was in motion again. The Monkey King blurred into a series of rapid feints and strikes, his movements unpredictable and chaotic, a whirlwind of motion that left no room for hesitation. Nezha countered with equal precision, his spear spinning and thrusting to meet each strike head-on.

The clash of their weapons echoed across the battlefield, the force of their blows sending ripples through the air and shattering the ground beneath them. Sparks flew with every contact, their divine energy colliding in bursts of light that illuminated their determined faces.

Lucifer, standing at a safe distance, watched the battle with an expression of mild interest, his crimson eyes following the combatants’ every move. “Ah, youth,” he murmured, his tone light but edged with something deeper. “So full of fire.”

Nezha’s fiery aura intensified as he pressed forward, forcing Wukong onto the defensive. The boy’s strikes grew sharper, faster, each one carrying the full weight of his resolve. Yet Wukong met him blow for blow, his grin never fading even as the staff in his hands deflected the spear’s blazing edge.

“You’re holding back,” Nezha growled, his voice taut with frustration as their weapons locked for a brief moment.

Wukong’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “And you’re not?”

With a grunt, Nezha broke the stalemate, spinning backward before launching his spear with deadly precision. The weapon flew like a comet, trailing fire as it hurtled toward Wukong.

The Monkey King tilted his head, his grin widening as he extended the Ruyi Jingu Bang. The staff expanded in an instant, catching the spear mid-flight and deflecting it with ease. The force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, toppling loose stones from the cliffs.

“Nice try,” Wukong said, his voice light but his stance unwavering. He spun the Ruyi Jingu Bang in a wide arc before planting it firmly into the ground. “But if you’re serious about making me go all out, you’ll have to do better.”

Nezha’s golden eyes narrowed, his lips pressing into a determined line. He raised his hand, and in a flash of light, the spear returned to his grasp. “You asked for it,” he said, his voice quiet but brimming with conviction.

The flames around Nezha erupted, the heat so intense that the air shimmered like a mirage. The boy’s form seemed to blur within the inferno, his features illuminated by the golden lotus burning at his heart.

Wukong’s grin faltered for a split second, replaced by a flicker of surprise. Then, his expression shifted into something more serious, his sharp gaze narrowing as he adjusted his stance. “Now we’re talking,” he muttered, his grip on the Ruyi Jingu Bang tightening.

Lucifer’s expression shifted as well, his amusement giving way to quiet contemplation. He tilted his head slightly, his crimson eyes narrowing as he observed the battle with renewed interest. “This might actually get interesting,” he said softly, almost to himself.

Nezha surged forward, his spear blazing like a meteor as he closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Wukong met him head-on, their weapons colliding in an explosion of divine energy that sent shockwaves across the battlefield.

The battle had truly begun.