The breeze blowing at the top of the smooth mountain was unusual, carrying a strange, primal energy that made the hairs on the back of Sapphire's neck stand up. The landscape around her was surreal—the sky above seed like a mixture of twilight and dawn, with impossible colors dancing in the clouds. The mountain, despite its desolate and worn appearance, seed to breathe, as if the very ground were alive.
Sapphire moved forward with steady steps, though there was an almost imperceptible hesitation in her eyes. She hated being here. Not because of the danger, not because of the inhospitable landscape, but because she knew exactly who was waiting for her.
The air around her grew thicker, charged with an energy that vibrated with strength and unpredictability. It was then that she heard it. Not a voice, but a laugh. A light laugh, full of malice and contempt, echoing through the mountains as though the wind itself were mocking her.
"Well, well, well…" The voice finally erged, slow and filled with amusent. "If it isn't Sapphire Agares in the flesh. What brings the most brutal of demons to my humble domain? Miss ?"
Sapphire rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in impatience. "Get down here already, Irritating Monkey. I don't have ti for your gas."
Silence took over for a brief mont, but it was soon broken by a figure that erged from nowhere, literally falling from the sky and landing with an explosion of golden energy. When the dust settled, there he was—the Great Sage Equal To Heaven, the King of the Monkeys, Sun Wukong.
He was exactly as she rembered: a sly grin, bright eyes full of mischief and wisdom, and that arrogant aura of soone who knew they were unbeatable. His clothing, although traditional, looked almost worn out, as if he had just stepped out of a bar fight. On his back, he carried the legendary Ruyi Jingu Bang, gleaming with power.
"You've always been this direct?" Wukong asked, tilting his head, his smile widening. "I was expecting a little more… excitent. Maybe an insult? A sudden attack? Or at least a 'how've you been'?"
"How've you been?" Sapphire replied dryly, but her tone was so heavy with sarcasm that it could cut steel. "Ready? Let's make this quick."
Wukong let out a loud laugh, tapping his staff against the ground. "You never change, Sapphire. Always so... intense. But tell , what exactly do you want from ? I hope you didn't co to ask for help. That would be embarrassing for both of us."
"I wouldn't ask for help even if I were dying," Sapphire shot back, narrowing her eyes. "But this ti it's not about . It's about the new Demon King."
Wukong's expression subtly shifted, the smile fading slightly, replaced by sothing more serious. "Ah... so it's about him."
"Yes, him," Sapphire confird, stepping forward. "And I know you know. Don't try any of your tricks, Wukong. I need your insight, and I need it now."
His smile returned, this ti more calculating. He slowly turned, looking out at the horizon, as though contemplating sothing far off. "The world is changing, Sapphire. The balance is tipping… And, of course, you, , and all the other 'old players' will feel the impact of this."
"Spare your cheap philosophies," Sapphire interrupted impatiently. "I want to know what you know about the future. About Vergil."
Wukong twirled his staff in one hand with a casual ease, his eyes gleaming again with that mischievous light. "You want answers, but answers co at a price. They always have."
Sapphire gritted her teeth. "Wukong…"
Before she could finish, he disappeared, reappearing just inches from her, casually leaning on his staff. "Tell , Sapphire," he began, his voice lowered, almost a whisper, "what are you willing to sacrifice for these answers? Because, I warn you, the truth is rarely kind."
She didn't flinch, keeping her gaze locked on his. "I'll sacrifice whatever it takes. But if you keep stalling, I'll sacrifice you."
Wukong laughed, jumping back and spinning in the air before landing with an absurd lightness. "Ah, how I missed that charming personality of yours." He raised a hand, and, as if by magic, a golden scroll appeared between his fingers.
Wukong held the golden scroll with exasperating theatricality, its gleaming shine reflecting in his mischievous eyes. He unfurled it slowly, as if savoring every second of the rising tension. Sapphire kept her eyes fixed on him, her patience as thin as a hair ready to snap.
"Unfortunately, it seems you won't be getting your answers," Wukong announced, reading the contents with an ever-widening smile. He tilted the scroll to one side, then the other, as if trying to decipher sothing. "Ah, look at that... It's completely empty. Seems like fate decided to toy with you today."
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Sapphire crossed her arms, her gaze sharp enough to cut steel. "You think this is funny?"
"More than you can imagine," Wukong replied, still examining the empty scroll. "Ah, I love these monts! The drama, the suspense, the complete lack of useful information. Truly, it's a wonderful show." He casually jumped, sitting on an invisible stone in the air, swinging his legs like a child.
"Wukong…" Sapphire warned, her voice promising violence.
He laughed, folding the scroll and twirling it between his fingers before vanishing with a snap. "Ah, calm down, calm down. Of course there's sothing here... But you see, how does positivity interact with negativity? The answers are... encoded. So to speak."
"Encoded?" Sapphire repeated, uncrossing her arms and clenching her fists. "Are you telling this scroll is useless?"
"Exactly!" He pointed at her, excited, as if she had just won a prize. "You caught on quick. That's why I've always liked you, Sapphire. Smart and threatening. A rare combination."
Sapphire stepped forward, the ground beneath her cracking with the pressure. "Last chance, Wukong. Decode it. Now."
Wukong leaned back as if completely at ease, even as Sapphire's eyes blazed with fury that could disintegrate mountains. He twirled the scroll in his fingers one last ti before making it disappear into the air like dust swept by the wind.
"Ah, being friends with Maîtreya is like this," he said with that casual tone he could only use in monts of extre tension. "That old Buddha, always so... mysterious. He loves leaving everyone in the dark, doesn't he? But you know... if he doesn't want to tell, then that's just it, go ho, little demon. But I must admit... It's fascinating to watch you get possessive like this... Who would've thought you'd care about soone."
He paused dramatically, studying her as if she were so puzzle. "Ah, I'd love to decode what you want to know, really. But... If what you're wondering is how and when he'll be attacked for the first ti..." He tilted his head, a provocative smile forming on his face. "Well, if I were you, I'd head ho right now."
Sapphire stood still for a mont, her eyes narrowing like sharp blades. She was clearly deciding between killing him right there or vanishing before he could continue his rambling.
"You…" she murmured, her tone low and laden with a threat that made the air around them vibrate. Before Wukong could respond, she disappeared, the sound of her departure reverberating like thunder echoing through the mountain.
Wukong remained still, watching the space where she had been, his smile shifting between amused and thoughtful. He sighed, rubbing his neck as he looked up at the sky. "Eccentric as always..."
He barely finished murmuring these words when a massive shadow fell over him. His expression instantly changed, his eyes widening as he realized what was coming toward him.
"Oh no…"
Above him, a colossal teor tore through the sky, illuminating the landscape with a fiery glow. The giant rock was surrounded by flas and seed to grow larger with every second, as if determined to turn that mountain into dust.
Wukong jumped backward, balancing himself on a floating stone that magically appeared beneath his feet. He crossed his arms, tilting his head to the side as he watched the impending destruction.
"She never changes, does she?" he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. "Always needs to leave her mark."
The teor continued its descent, its absurd speed creating a wave of heat that bent the nearby trees and caused the surrounding rocks to crack. Wukong remained still for a mont, as if seriously considering doing nothing and just accepting the impact.
Then, with an exaggerated sigh, he leapt gracefully, spinning in the air as a golden cloud materialized beneath his feet. He rested on it, hands behind his back, watching the teor from a higher vantage point.
"Alright, Sapphire, if this is how you want to play..."
He snapped his fingers, and the golden staff that was his trademark appeared in his hand, gleaming like a ray of sunlight. He spun it in the air, enlarging it until it rivaled the teor in size.
"Let's see who's more stubborn, you or ."
With a leap, he launched himself toward the teor, swinging the staff above his head. The impact was so great that the sky seed to vibrate with the sound. The teor split in two, exploding into pieces that rained down on the mountain like hellish fireworks.
Wukong landed gently back on the golden cloud, casually spinning the staff before making it disappear. He landed once more on the mountain, gazing at the chaos he had just prevented.
He shrugged, sitting back down on the invisible stone as if nothing had happened. "Ah, Sapphire. You really know how to liven up an old monkey's day."
Then he started laughing, his laughter echoing through the mountains as the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon, painting the sky in red and gold. "Who would've thought... maybe I'm even starting to enjoy these little visits of yours."
"I'm interested in you now... New Lucifer... maybe I'll let the Hero who follows my path fight you," he murmured.
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