- Lucifer, Cthulhu, Devil -
The group had been led to a quaint villa. Most of the group was being lavished with gifts and offerings of food and drinks from the slim beings that had been with Cthulhu at the border while Lucifer and Cthulhu sat at a wooden table in another room discussing Lucifer's reason for visiting.
Cthulhu was constantly grinning and excitedly speaking in a kind, almost child-like tone. "I know you're not technically a part of Heaven anymore but I am still grateful to have your company! What does your kind think about you doing this? Do they know? I guess it doesn't matter to you? Either way, welcome! I already said that, sorry."
Lucifer had experience dealing with this type of excitement. Hyper-curiosity was extremely common among reborn humans. Lucifer was nodding and giving occasional answers during Cthulhu's breaths.
'What a terrifying~ creature,' Devil mocked in Lucifer's mind. 'I shouldn't be surprised that this joke is what you believe will 'kill' me.'
Cthulhu glanced at Devil. "Is it speaking?"
Lucifer was surprised that Cthulhu changed the subject first. He glanced at Devil and then back to Cthulhu.
"Yes," He whispered the next part. "The others can't see it and I'd prefer you keep its existence between us."
"I assumed," Cthulhu grinned and made direct eye contact with Devil. "Am I to assume this curse is the reason for your visit? Knowing who afflicted you with this will speed up the removal process."
Lucifer sighed. "It is the reason I'm here but it's not a curse, at least not by this world's definition. I believe it might be a part of my mind and I want it removed, if possible."
Devil laughed.
"He's laughing," Cthulhu observed. "Well, if is a part of your mind I can try to remove him but there are two things to establish first."
"Okay," Lucifer agreed. "I assume the first is payment?"
Cthulhu's dropped his grin. "First but not more important."
"What do you want?" Lucifer's eyes narrowed slightly.
Cthulhu spoke slowly, "Well, and be patient with me," he cleared his throat, "I want your eyes."
Lucifer responded casually, "Figuratively, like the loss of my sight, or the literal eyes?"
Cthulhu was surprised. "Uh...literal."
"Alright," Lucifer agreed. "Do you have a healer nearby?"
"Y-yes," Cthulhu raised his hand and signaled to one of his guards. "Maaji!"
The slender guards that had been observing started to whisper among themselves as they watched Lucifer get his eyes taken out without issue.
"Has he done this before?"
"Look at the other members of his group. They were barely bothered by the information."
"Even Lord Cthulhu seems surprised."
Lucifer was asking questions while being healed. "Is Kamlai around? There's something I wanted to ask her about in regards to her archdemon contract."
Cthulhu was looking at Lucifer's eyes floating in a jar. "She's a bit deeper into the territory. I'll have someone go get her."
"No rush," Lucifer said as he turned his head to Maaji. "Thank you for the healing, Maaji."
Maaji reciprocated thanks as he finished healing Lucifer's eyes. Lucifer blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes.
"Always so itchy afterwards," Lucifer commented.
"So you have done this before?" Maaji asked.
"Maaji..." Cthulhu warned with a shift in his tone.
"Sorry, sir," Maaji backed away and rejoined the other guards.
Lucifer kept scratching his eyes. "I don't find the question disrespectful. No need to warn him on my part."
"Mmm," Cthulhu hummed as he looked from the eyes in the jar to Lucifer's face. "They lost the ring around the irises."
Lucifer stopped scratching his eyes. "They do that apparently. I wasn't trying to deceive you-"
Cthulhu shook his head in disagreement. "I named the price. Besides, your eyes were interesting enough before the ring. I think some beings might confuse your eyes for a vampire's but now that I have a closer look there's a clear distinction in the shade of red, not to mention the slight glow they emit."
"You wanted the eyes for the sake of anatomical research?" Lucifer assumed.
"I have an insatiable hunger for knowledge," Cthulhu looked deep into the eyes floating in the jar. "I am endlessly fascinated by this world. Anatomy is a more recent favorite of mine in that fascination. Do you mind if I ask you something about Satan?"
"He's not selling his horns," Lucifer predicted.
"Hmm," Cthulhu sounded disappointed. "I'm sure he'll trade when he wants something from me. Though it is particularly difficult to find things that man doesn't have."
Cthulhu motioned to one of his guards. The guard came over and Cthulhu told them to take the jar off the table. Cthulhu's expression shifted to be more serious as he exhaled.
"The next part of this arrangement," Cthulhu looked at his hands as he spoke. "The thing I can do that might help get rid of your problem has some complications. First of all, this process inflicts frenzy."
Lucifer glanced at Devil. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I can handle whatever pain may come with this process."
Cthulhu shook his head in disagreement. "No, you don't understand. Skin pain, nerve pain, bone pain, all of those things I can safely assume you're well-acquainted with but this is different."
"How so?" Lucifer was confused.
"Frenzy exists on the mental plane." Cthulhu explained. "I know archangels have a long list of resistances and immunities but I doubt this would be one of them. I assume you've been stabbed, burned, flayed, mutilated-" he stopped himself. "How much experience do you have dealing with frenzy?"
"Not much," Lucifer admitted. "But enough that I'm confident I can handle your...let's call it a treatment."
Cthulhu's pupils dilated. Lucifer, caught by surprise, winced slightly as he felt the frenzy scratch at his mind.
"See," Cthulhu pointed out. "While it is more potent than what the average eldritch inflicts, it's still just a fraction of what you'll be experiencing."
"Why are you so worried now?" Lucifer started to doubt Cthulhu's intentions.
Cthulhu was honest. "You were so agreeable with trading your eyes that I didn't want to convince you out of the deal. Now I can't help but feel guilty that I didn't give you this warning before the trade. Beings have died from frenzy, as I'm sure you've read."
"I want to do this!" Lucifer was resolute. "Whatever happens, it was my choice."
Cthulhu frowned. "Alright then. It's going to be strange doing this with a willing participant so bare with me during the initial process." He took a breath and closed his eyes. " I recommend you have the human, the yuki, and the half-vampire leave first. The aftershocks of this will affect them otherwise."
Lucifer explained the situation to the group. He told Death that what Cthulhu was about to do might cause extreme pain, and that if he screams not to take it as a threat from Cthulhu. Death was a mix of worry and doubt. He was worried that Lucifer was going through with such a drastic measure but also doubtful that it would be painful enough to make Lucifer scream.
"That's handled," Lucifer sat back down at the table. "Whenever you're ready."
Cthulhu explained, "Once I open my eyes, look deeply into them. Once you hear my voice in your head, let it fill your mind."
Cthulhu opened his eyes. Lucifer felt a headache the moment Cthulhu's eyes opened. Lucifer looked deep into Cthulhu's.
'Can you hear me?' Cthulhu said in Lucifer's mind.
'Y-yes,' Lucifer answered as his headache worsened.
Lucifer struggled to keep his eyes open. His head felt as if it was inside a large bell that was being rang from the outside. The sound around him started to distort as the ringing got louder. His breathing grew ragged, and the pain worsened with every blink.
'Any moment now,' Cthulhu said in Lucifer's mind.
Lucifer couldn't respond despite wanting to. Every pang of his headache seemed to distort the reality around him a little more. Devil's words were being drowned out as Lucifer's vision started to fade. Lucifer blinked slowly, every blink having less and less light, until eventually, it was pure darkness.
"Lucifer!" Cthulhu shouted.
Lucifer opened his eyes and looked around. He wasn't sitting at the table anymore. He was standing on what appeared to be water. As he looked around, all he could see was the illuminated water stretching out infinitely into pitch-black darkness. He looked above him and saw a still body of water mirroring his footing that was filled with what looked like red dots.
"Where is this?" Devil asked. "I wonder?"
Devil walked over to Lucifer and squeezed Lucifer's arm tight. Devil's mouth formed into a smile so wide it seemed as if didn't fit on his face.
"Finally," Devil spoke in a threatening tone.
"This is not your world," Cthulhu appeared in front of Devil.
Devil continued smiling as he spoke to Cthulhu. "Do you have any idea how weak your 'world' is compared to mine?"
Cthulhu placed his hand on Devil's chest. "Please, tell me."
"What are you-"
The red dots floating in the water above opened, revealing copies of Cthulhu's eyes. All the eyes stared at Devil as Cthulhu pushed his hand into Devil's chest cavity. Devil disappeared and reappeared in a floating darkness that was surrounded on all sides by water that was filled with copies of Cthulhu's eyes.
- Death and Lucifer -
Death was watching over Cthulhu and Lucifer as he felt the pulse of Cthulhu's power prod at his mind. 'They've been out for at least an hour now.'
Death noticed the two start to wake up. Before he could walk over to ask how Lucifer felt, Lucifer started to scream. Lucifer fell out of the chair and dug his fingers into his head as he screamed with the full strength of his lungs. Lucifer started smashing his head into the ground until Death ran over and restrained him.