And thus, we are led to the present. Anyways, I will hand back the narration to our lovely narrator. Here you go.
Lucen kindly returns the narration privileges, allowing the story to continue once more. It will be seen to that this does not happen again.
Thug 1's fist swung towards Lucen's face, missing narrowly as Lucen leaned back just enough to feel the breeze from the fists motion. Lucen shifted his waist and pivoted his foot, connecting with a sharp left hook to Thug 1's liver, causing him to stumble. Following through, Lucen grabbed his shoulders, pulling him down to drive his right knee into his gut.
"GURGH!'
"(T-The hell?! This bastards speed and strength is-)"
Before he could finish that thought, Lucen brought his left knee up and threw a quick side kick at Thug 1's abdomen but he caught it.
"Gotcha now!"
Lucen turned his left foot up, jumped over his left leg with his right and using that momentum, connected with a jumping side kick right on Thug 1's mouth, sending him flying back and landing hard on the ground next to Thug 2 and 3, who looked absolutely shocked.
"OOMPH!"
Thug 1 sat up, wiping his mouth of the blood trickling down his mouth.
"Ugh… What was that? No normal guy should be this strong."
"..."
"What are you two dumbasses just standing there for?! Get him!"
Approaching Lucen, Thug 3 threw a wild haymaker at him but Lucen blocked it by getting his elbow up. Immediately, he hit Thug 3 with a fast elbow and then pushed him away, knocking Thug 3 to the ground. Thug 2, from the side, attempted to catch Lucen off guard with a kick that Lucen barely ducks. Following through, Lucen sweeps Thug 2's leg and knocks him to the ground. He then cocks his fist back to go for the finishing blow.
"Good nigh- Huh?"
Noticing the absolutely terrified look on the face of Thug 2, Lucen stopped for a bit. He noticed that he wasn't looking at him but the fist he had loaded up. Lucen turned his attention to his fist.
"What the…? M-My- MY HAND! IT'S…"
A glowing blue flame burned on Lucen's right hand. This, of course, being one of the most bewildering things that has happened in Lucen's normal life, caused him to immensely freak out like he never has before even if the flame wasn't hurting him.
Thug 1 quickly got up on his feet. "There's no way… Demonic energy?! Was this bastard... All this time…?! But that fire… Why is it blue?!"
Thug 1 reached his hand out and in an instant, a knife –or seemingly a crystal in the form of a knife, materialized from out of the air.
"Didn't think I'd have to use this tonight…"
But just as Thug 1 moved, the air around the entire area shifted, stopping him in his tracks immediately. In his mind, he knew what it was. The presence that caused him to stop. Yet still, he slowly turned his head around and then he saw something –or someone. If you were to see his face, you'd think his soul left his body. It was the same girl that Lucen and the Thugs ran past earlier. White hair and all.
"(It's her! Oh shit! Oh shit! I didn't think she'd actually be here in this random ass alley! I-I gotta get out of here!)"
The girl slowly walked towards Lucen. Thug 1 dashed past her, followed by his entourage behind him. Lucen, hand still on fire, stared in awe as she got closer.
"(She's getting closer. I wasn't just seeing things. She's real. She's approaching me. What is the feeling in my chest?)"
Finally a few feet from Lucen, she stopped in front of him. She was shorter than him by a few inches but her gaze still sent a slight shiver down his spine.
"W-Welcome to Good Burger! Home of the Good Burger! Can I take your order?"
"Lucen, please listen to what I am about to say."
"How do you know my name…?"
"Please enter a Contract with me."
"Huh?"
Confused, Lucen stared at her for a few seconds.
"A what…?"
"A Contract. You must enter a Contract with me. Immediately."
Lucen, again stared at her, perplexed.
"Wait wait, let's slow down a bit. Who are you?"
The girl sighed.
"I am Lialetta Azaroth. You may call me Lia for short. I am the current patriarch of the Azaroth Family and I am a devil."
Lucen, for the third time, stood there, staring at her in complete silence and bewilderment.
"(Oh my God…)
"(She's…)"
"(She's….)"
"(An absolute nutcase... Is this what they call 8th-grader syndrome? I thought these types of girls only existed in anime. To think I'd actually meet one… But like, I am so unbelievably into this. Wait, has all of the good deeds I've done FINALLY come back to me? I knew my hard work would pay off! Thank you, thank you. I will take this blessing with utmost humility!)"
"I see.. Well, nice to meet you, Lia. I am Lucen as you so strangely know already. So, what's this, uhm, "Contract" business?"
"Your hand, that flame is what is called demonic energy. Yours is an unstable mutation of what is normally a red flame and if it's not contained, it won't go away. That's why you…"
"(Oh I get it! She's a stalker! This must be her weird way of confessing! Don't you worry, you needn't say another word, my dear delusional stalker! I'll accept all of your feelings! Even if you have issues at home!)
Lucen's excitement grew as he continued to completely tune out what Lia said and be oblivious to everything that was actually important.
"I accept! I will go out with you!"
"What?"
"Ahem –Sorry, I mean, I'll enter a "Contract" with you."
"Good, then let us begin immediately."
Lia walked closer towards Lucen, stopping just a few inches from him. She then grabbed his burning hand and interlocked her fingers between his.
"What are you- Eh?"
Below Lucen's feet, what seemed to be a glowing red circle with intricate glyphs appeared. The bright red illuminated the entire surrounding area.
"(Have I lost my mind…? What am I seeing right now…?)"
"By the threads of fate and time aligned,
With these words of power, our two souls combined,
In a sacred bond, our paths intertwined,
By name and will, this vow now decreed,
Thy soul to mine, and mine to thee,
Let the world witness, beyond our sight,
Thus nothing may sever what was bound this night,
I, Lialetta Azaroth, hereby pronounce the formation of a Binding Contract between myself and Lucen Rivers."
Lucen was at a loss for words. He could do nothing but watch in silence as this event unfolded.
"This may sting a bit. Please brace yourself."
"Wait wha- URGNH!"
"(My head! What the hell… is this?! It feels like there's… mice scrambling around in my brain! I… can't take it! I…)"
Vision fading, the sight of Lia, her piercing gaze looking directly into his eyes as she held up his hand in front of them, was the last thing he saw. Lucen, finally passing out, dropped but Lia, still having a hold of his hand, kept him from hitting the ground and set him down gently. She then let out a long sigh.
"I'm sorry… I broke our promise but this was… necessary. I can only hope, wherever you are, you can forgive me for this. And to you Lucen… I hope you can forgive me for dragging you into this."
With those words, Lia grabbed Lucen and disappeared with him.