Upon entering the barrier, each player was thrown into somewhere across the three colonies Retly was separated into. Relinquishing relocation rights occurs immediately after crossing the barrier and being exposed to Alex's Vita signature, as he's the one who teleports the Subjects telepathically. After being spontaneously warped above the clouds, Ace uncontrollably flailed across the sky, quickly recognizing his aerial location.
'A barrier condition that separates a player from their set group?! But Alex didn't announce anything during the initial communication three months ago. Could it be…?'
Ace, still flailing amid the air, swiftly turned his head toward a lightning-fast projectile colliding into his abdomen. The ginger crashed through two buildings, carefully perching onto a stationary billboard facing his hovering opponent. Eternal Sight's observant markings spread over Wilder's crimson pupils as the Scarlet King thought normally.
'Their technique doesn't involve anything specific. This guy seems like a random demon—maybe one of Retly's residents or an Incarnated Spirit. It's odd, though. He doesn't seem to have a technique…'
The demon had four black wings, four eyes, two horns, and long flowing hair. Pressing his trident onto his forearm, he observed from afar as Ace analyzed. Abruptly across his face, two eyes covered his clean cheeks; orbs colored hellish-red.
'What's this? The demon's power is welling up again? And what's up with those two extra eyes? Could it be some sort of unspoken pact that prohibits speed but allows for more versatility and destructive power? Then again, I don't think demons use the same powers Requiem Subjects—'
Ace's eyes widened. With one clean stroke slipping from his sharply-pronged trident, the building he was perched on had completely collapsed with a delayed reaction following the cleave. At first, the ginger was stunned—flipping from the billboard and landing on the lower plain rooftop. Then, his head turned, noticing the reappearing demon throwing his weapon's length, powerless to do anything but watch it crash into his arm and send him flying through another building. Before Ace could land, the demon reappeared yet again, intercepting his flight with a hearty kick that threw the Scarlet King's body into the open street.
Emerging from his imprint crater, Wilder shot out his right arm while ingrained into the ground. The demon observed from above, still wielding his trusty trident.
"So you can use Rejuvenation techniques. That must seriously deplete your Vita supply," commented the demonic player.
His cloak moved in tandem with the sky's natural winds. The sinister smirk staining his lips was identical to the shit-eating grin the Jester so regularly wore.
'There's something familiar about this guy, though. Have I… met him before?'
Ace stepped forward, now standing tall. "Yeah, I got that technique. There a problem or somethin', you dirty demon bastard?" he asked.
Pushing his index and middle fingers together, the Scarlet King invoked Red's offensive technique. A stray crimson thunderbolt flashed across the sky, nearing the fallen angel's vicinity. Unexpectedly, the demon's smirk widened.
Instead of collapsing from the air, the demon twirled around his trident, maniacally giggling while erratically spinning his weapon. He caught the corrupted bolt before the attack connected, pointed the trident's tip over his shoulder, and watched as the electrical projectile flew back at Ace's idle body. Wilder absorbed the redirected Corrupted Bolt through his extended right palm, left hand pocketed; the ginger uncaringly walking closer.
"Is that seriously all you've got?" the Scarlet King mockingly queried.
"No…" the demon psychotically responded.
He raised his cursed trident to the skies. Ace forcibly bore witness to the time of day change, for the bright blue sky was dismissed and completely replaced with a disastrous crimson shade. Appearing from crackling distortions in space surrounding the demon were innumerable swords, each differing in size and design.
"It isn't a coincidence that you and I are fighting, Ace Wilder, no. I heard the son of the Requiem Reaper was participating in the Killing Game but I didn't think he was so stupid to fight in it. How lucky am I? Heh~" giggled the four-eyed demon.
Through panting breaths expressing his panic, the ginger looked up at his demonic adversary. "Who the hell even are you?!" he yelled.
"Think of me as a family friend, Ace. One you'll be seeing a lot of for the time being…"
The lingering attack activated its inevitable destruction; the numerous swords shooting at the targeted ginger stationary against the road. Opting against remaining idle forever, Ace pressed his palm onto the ground directly below him. Multiple corrupted bolts erupted from his compressed fingertips, chaotically darting through the air to completely decimate the imminent swords.
Following the relentless bombardment, one flare started building up energy, massively releasing harmful demonic energy from the eye embedded into his forehead at the Scarlet King. Pushing his left open palm overhead, he easily deflected the blast with his hand and simultaneously summoned Eternal Sight's advanced perceptual prowess.
The demon had vanished from his levitation. Having instantaneously manifested behind his red-headed opponent, the monster swung his trident's sharpened prongs—aiming for decapitation. Ace quickly ducked, glaring up at the bloodthirsty demon from below. Despite his offensive capabilities, his speed increased.
The trident's length rapidly swung from side to side, and each time, without fail, the edged prongs extravagantly swinging through the air would curve their way to Ace's head. The plentiful slashes Wilder's speed surpassed occasionally bypassed his scarlet-marked pupils, climaxing in the King's fingers suddenly ensnaring the trident in his grip.
"Oh?" the demon hummed.
Ace attempted to steal the trident, but he was subject to its unexpected disappearance. He quickly retreated by hopping, abandoning the red currents of Vita as he sprinted away. Grasping the reappeared trident in two hands, the demon aimed the prongs at his ginger-haired enemy and shot. Jolting forward once the blast entered the air, Wilder's head manually dodged the incoming bolt upon initially dashing ahead. Releasing the trident from his fingers, the demon blocked his skull's both sides with both arms immediately rising.
'I thought he'd do that!'
Multiple strikes descended upon the demon's dual limb—each punch carrying Divergence's signature Red technique. Without much choice, his arms fell from protecting his head, leaving his face and chest completely open. But it was too late. By the time Ace had finished throwing the punch, he'd realized completely that his demonic enemy had anticipated which opening he'd strike. After hitting the demon's defenseless chest, the demon threw his head back and relaxed his entire face. Having already raised another arm to throw in a follow-up attack, Ace's features completely fell as he forcibly witnessed each eye tainting the demon's face creepily open.
Once he came to, Ace instantly knew his second attack and he was repulsed somehow. Seated on a building's scuffed edge, the ginger looked down at his demonic opponent, scratching his head.
'Where have I seen this guy before?' he wondered.
"In the Old World, I was known throughout the human world as the Prince of Hell and son of the Devil. I intend to uphold those titles by slaughtering every last one of you rats infecting this so-called Killing Game…"
Killing Game player: Incarnated Spirit - Lucifer Morningstar.
"I assume you don't have a problem with that, right… Ace Wilder?"
"Oh, you're that guy. That's right, you DID fight dad and Karlo during the Advent. Heh, sorry 'bout that." Ace flicked his forehead. "There's still a few of the old man's memories I haven't unlocked," he clarified.
Lucifer clicked his tongue. "Have you ever slaughtered someone that irritates you? I especially love the feeling of bathing in their blood after mutilating them," the Demon Prince said.
Ace stood up and swatted any dust dirtying his jacket away. Looking down at Lucifer with pocketed hands, he said, "I don't appreciate killing the way you do. Don't you know the point of this Killing Game?" he asked.
"Of course I do. It's to gradually cull the remaining population of Requiem Subjects through a killing game by summoning more powerful challengers in the form of Incarnated spirits into the New World. However, there aren't exactly a lot of strong fighters so most small fries weed themselves out. Either way, the rules surrounding the Killing Game celebrate permanence so it should be a while before that happens. That is unless you somehow know of some ulterior motive the Requiem Judge secretly informed his favorite players…"
"What're you participating for?" Ace interrogated, on street-level facing Lucifer yet again.
"To slaughter innocents, of course. I don't care about the Subjects' continued survival. From where I stand, all humans would be better off dead," Morningstar responded.
'I shouldn't have asked.'
"How strong am I compared to my dad?" the ginger questioned.
Lucifer leaned forward, placed a finger on his chin, and squinted at Ace. Following his prolonged humming, he finally replied: "I'd say you carry about 30% of the Reaper's power. Is that the minimum level you're striving for?"
"Well, I'm opting for 50% more. More even and practical, y'know?"
"I understand completely. That being said, disregarding our statuses as people who hold entirely different opinions of value, would you like to continue our match?" Lucifer respectfully queried.
"It'd be my honor…" Ace slid his feet apart, raised both arms, and threw his fists down, allowing them to remain motionless by his body's sides. "To pummel you mercilessly!"
'When I first entered, I was thrown into the air. Why is that? If it was a pre-established rule, Alex or Katie would've communicated it to us via telepathy. Could the Incarnated spirits have declared their participation in the Killing Game earlier and made a barrier rule so they could weed out newcomers as quickly as possible? Also, the more I think about it, if anyone made that rule, it's probably this guy. I need to defeat him quickly and find out what he knows about where Alex's hiding.
Hang on, Katie! I'm coming to help you—just like I did… all those years ago.'