Lucifer had slipped into the scene as discreetly as his devilish nature allowed, although discretion hardly mattered amid the chaotic clash unfolding before him.

 He had been trailing the conversation and observing the skirmish, and one thing was abundantly clear – none of the parties involved were from this dimension, or at least the woman and her hulking ally didn't seem to belong here.

As for the man who was being relentlessly pursued, Lucifer had initially harbored some doubts about his origins. However, those doubts swiftly dissipated the moment the battle erupted into full force. Despite his outward appearance as an ordinary human male, it became readily apparent that he was anything but ordinary in terms of battle prowess.

A surge of admiration welled up within Lucifer for this stranger. It was evident that the man had grasped the harsh reality of being thoroughly outmatched, yet he had made the resolute decision to stand his ground rather than flee. 

Lucifer marveled at the raw might of the scepter but what impressed him even more was the stranger's finesse in wielding it. Moreover, the man possessed a touch of magic, a skill that added to his formidable capabilities.

 He seemed more than capable of holding his own against his assailant.

Lucifer watched in silent satisfaction from the concealed vantage point of the shadows, confident that the man would somehow win. 

However, that assurance was short-lived, as the man made a critical error. He deployed a series of cunning illusions, successfully bewildering his female opponent. Yet, in his eagerness to gain the upper hand, he resorted to a rather underhanded tactic by attacking her from behind.

The act of cheating, Lucifer could forgive, but what he couldn't overlook was the grave mistake it entailed. This ill-advised maneuver had provided an unintended advantage to the woman's silent, colossal companion. In the blink of an eye, the man was sent sprawling, and the scepter was sent hurtling in the direction of Lucifer, who was no longer concealed within the safety of the shadows.

At that moment, Lucifer experienced an overpowering, almost unnatural desire to reach out for the scepter. This desire waged a persistent war against his instincts, which were shouting at him in protest. 

He was no coward, but that wasn't the point. The battle he had witnessed firsthand was between beings of extraordinary power. It was one thing to bluster his way through encounters with mere humans. If things took a turn for the worse, he could always rely on his devilish look to send them fleeing in terror. 

But these were no humans, and Lucifer was willing to wager that they had witnessed far more terrifying sights than his devilish face. The moment they discovered his presence in this conflict, his fate would likely be sealed.

he hated the sound of that, especially bearing in mind that he was no longer immortal. the mere thought of that made the woman's spear look ten times more menacing.

Despite these rational thoughts, they did little to quell the relentless urge that seemed to pull him inexorably toward the scepter. 

It was as if the essence of the artifact had ensnared his desires until he could resist no longer.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Lucifer stepped boldly from the concealing shadows and reached out for the scepter. 

As his flesh made contact with the artifact, he immediately felt a change coursing through him. It was as if electric volts surged through his being, a sensation that lasted for a mere second. But when a familiar, tingling energy pulsed through his body, Lucifer came to a stunning realization – his stolen powers had returned.

He could scarcely believe it. He had barely amassed enough celestial points to unlock the locked abilities, as the system had so implied. 

Yet something within him had undeniably changed, and his heightened senses attested to this transformation. While he hadn't attained the immensely powerful abilities described by the system, having his old powers back was an exhilarating revelation. This meant a world of possibilities lay open to him, including the option to return to his normal life in Lux.

His heart raced with a mix of tension and anticipation as he decided to put his regained power to the test.

 The only trouble was that if his gambit turned out to be a fruitless endeavor, he would have already plunged himself knee-deep into this shitty situation. 

In essence, it would be too late to make a discreet exit.

 However, it appeared there was little reason to fret. With only a modicum of focus, Lucifer found himself abruptly vanishing from where he had stood just moments ago. Now, he reappeared a few paces away from the spear-bearing alien woman.

***

Loki's eyes widened with shock and horror as he watched the spear hurtling through the air toward the stranger at incredible speed. He had seen the stranger standing at the far corner just moments ago, well behind Cull Obsidian. How he had managed to move those few steps closer to Proxima Midnight in such a short period was a mystery in itself. What was even more bewildering was the fact that he held his scepter in his hand.

For a brief, fleeting moment, Loki dared to hope that the stranger might somehow use the scepter to defend himself. But those hopes were crushed within seconds as a dull thud echo sounded. 

Proxima Midnight's spear had found its mark, burying itself in the stranger's heart.

Loki's shock turned to disbelief as he witnessed a surprising turn of events. 

The stranger didn't crumple to the ground as expected. Instead, he stood there, seemingly unfazed. A wicked smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he casually pulled the spear from his chest, the wound closing up as if it had never been.

Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian exchanged uneasy glances, and for the first time, Loki saw genuine fear in their eyes. Whatever this stranger was, he was far from ordinary, and he held power that defied understanding. 

 After casually pulling Proxima Midnight's spear from his chest, Lucifer glanced down at the weapon for a moment, his expression a mix of bemusement and amusement. He then raised an eyebrow and quipped, "Well, that was certainly unexpected. You'll have to do better than that if you want to make an impression, darling."

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