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The heavens, as always, were nimbus and pristine. An otherworldly scenery incapable of replicating.
An arch of sunflowers stood at the wide entrance, decorating the long hall down to the main chamber that had housed many gods since the beginning of time. Each step he took was firm and solid, a contrast to the deceiving wispy clouds that held the domain in a sky dome. Separating them far far away from the mortal realm below.
The sun shone brightly through the crevices of the vines and clouds, an indicator that this would no doubt be another useless convene.
Strings of gods and goddesses alike flaunted, chatter and laughter rang from airheaded fools, snarls and glares at those who had history. Few dragged their feet to the inevitable meeting, displeasure etched across their faces.
Those were the ones to watch out for. They were the reason his golden blood brewed underneath his skin, the silent cry of bloodshed right at the tip of his tongue.
Something bumped into him. Blinking, he turned and saw no one. His lips pulled to a deep frown. Behind him, he heard his servant coughed, the word almost a whisper. A telling. His gaze flickered down.
A tiny face glared up at him with stubborn beaming purple irises. Straight vibrant pink hair and a golden piece of jewelry adorned her cheekbone. She was dressed in rags. Like a mortal. Ugh.
"Watch where you're going!" The new goddess of greed snapped, unafraid and fearless.
Kid almost respected it. Almost.
He bared his teeth at her, towering over her small figure, "I think you need a lesson on how to properly greet your betters, godling."
She held her head proudly, "Do your worst! I'm not afraid! I'll kick your ass!"
The old goddess of greed had been a hag. Useful for a time but she had been a stickler for the rules. Her successor, however, was nothing like her. Kid would go as far as to admit that he liked her gutsy attitude.
Which was why he tried to punch her. The goddess of greed was swiftly pulled away by the collar of her jacket, a sight reminiscent of a cat picking up her stray litter. Although, in this case, the cat was in the form of a much larger god than Kid. Not stronger than him, of course, but enough that Kid grinned and backed off.
He clashed often with this god in nature. Truly a shame that he was so against war. Kid thought they could make a great pair if they could see eye to eye.
"Forgive her, god of war," the rounded fur ears on the god's head twitched. The white robes he wore crinkled as he slightly bowed his head, curly hair falling past his shoulders, "She is still learning."
Not an ounce of embarrassment filtered. The goddess of greed crossed her arms and harrumphed, staunchly looking away and acting like the petulant child she was.
"She hasn't even introduced herself," Kid said, satisfied when she whirled her head back.
"I am not giving you my name!" The goddess of greed stuck her tongue out.
Rolling his eyes, Kid decided it was best to get it over with. He hated arriving late, "Fine, I shall be the better god, you brat. I am the god of war, Eustass Kid."
She was stubbornly silent. The god of healing looked down at her expectantly and she caved under his pressure.
"I am the goddess of greed," she muttered, "Jewelry Bonney."
Kuma brightened, the joyhood of father softening the god even further, "Good, Bonney. That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"I don't like him."
"I don't either brat. But should you really be making enemies?" Kid smirked, lowering his voice as he said, "Gods remember who spite them."
Bonney paled, appropriately spooked, and Kid brushed past them, bored of their talk already. His servant kept pace, the low timbre of his voice reaching his ears.
"Must you scare every godling?" Killer dryly remarked.
"It's funny," Kid chuckled, sauntering down the hall, the sun overhead flaring and hot. The summer solstice had begun. "And I'm giving them a lesson. They're lucky. You know they are, Killer. The old king would have had her whipped for her rudeness."
Killer did not answer but Kid heard the unspoken reply.
Like you?
The long hall eventually gave away to a spacious throne room. Green vines wrapped around fluffy pillars, stretching to the top, vibrant huge sunflowers woven into them. The soft padded flooring did not break despite the many inhabitants that filled the room. The open walls offered a beautiful view of the skies spanning into the horizon and the clouds looked more like the sea with how endless it was.
Glowering at lesser gods and goddesses, Kid made his way to the front. As one of the great gods, he had a seat. His chair was simple, made out of clouds and silver linings that framed the outline. There were many similar chairs like it, spanning in a half circle, elevated above the floor that held the other lesser gods.
But of course, there was only one that was situated entirely above theirs. A golden throne that sat two levels higher, more gold than cloud, with its back spanning high and ending with golden swirls. The throne was humongous, fit for the old king's physique. The sun had not bothered to change it despite how comical he looked when he sat on it.
Not that Kid cared how he looked. No, he was presently much more concerned with the discord that chimed in the room. A thrum he sensed- a sign of a messy bloody future should things go awry today. He hadn't felt this powering emotion since the last war between gods. It was delightful. It was heady with its promise.
It was intoxicating.
"You're grinning."
Kid fixed his face, the content dripping off and glaring instead at the god who was grinning at him. The god lounged on his seat, hairy legs kicked over the armrest, and Kid wondered once more if he should suck it up and ask to change seats. But he loathed asking the sun for anything. Knowing him, he would laugh at him for asking.
Alas, Kid stubbornly sat next to the god of wine. His servant shuffled behind his chair, softly greeting the servant of the god of wine and the servant of the goddess of fortune. The two gods who bracketed his chair.
"Tis a fine day," Kid said, resting his arms on the soft armrest of the chair, "I scared a godling. Kuma's unseemly daughter."
Shanks barked out a laugh, "She's a delight! Isn't she?"
"She's a menace," Kid smirked, "Perhaps one day she will unseat you."
"Perhaps she will, I welcome the challenge."
Unflappable, the god of wine was. Kid said nothing more to him, eyes scanning the last of the gods joining them. Blue tough skin, pulled back hair and goatee, and sharp long teeth strong enough to rip out a throat. The sea god walked past them, the yellow robes a modest attire for the right hand of the king.
Everyone else was already in attendance. On Kid's side, Stussy leaned back on her chair, knowing smile in place. To his left was the annoying god of wine, and to the left of that god was the wrinkled silver-haired god of darkness. Across, Jinbei walked past the bored sand god, the vain goddess of beauty, and the pious god of healing, before arriving at his seat.
Once, these seats had been filled by the loyal followers of the old king of the gods. Kid had remembered being part of the crowd, angry and glowering, eager to put them in their place. Suffice to say, it didn't take long to convince Kid to join the sun's side. Every god sitting in the chair were the reason Nika conquered that golden throne. They had fought the gods of these chairs while the sun took on the mighty god of void.
Kid would never forget the day. He would never forget how Blackbeard's head rolled down the throne, golden blood staining the white pristine clouds. It had been a marvelous sight. Kid had been happy to readily kneel to the sun back then. His anger, his righteousness, his vengeance, had been enthralling. Kid wanted to continue fighting by the sun's side.
Where did that god go?
The sun had not ruled with an iron fist. His reign was complacent. He showed up only to sit on the throne and did nothing. Instead of ruling, he laughed and smiled. Amused. Always amused. The cracks in his rule were beginning to sow, gods whispering behind his back and displeasure growing in numbers.
Kid had not been approached but he hears them- the call familiar to his essence.
But who would dare fight the king of the gods? Kid only did so because he loved the adrenaline of it- of the reminder of why he continued to sit on this chair. The king of the gods was strong, he was uncontested to every challenge for his throne, but his rule was weakening- he did not rule with fear like Blackbeard. If war broke out, there would be much more godlings in the council. Perhaps it was for the best- newer gods to kneel to the sun's almighty power.
Kid grinned. He would not be against his namesake.
A hush of silence fell.
The king of the gods had arrived.
The sun moved thoughtlessly. Ungraceful. He skipped to the front, ever present smile in place as the gods hurriedly moved lest the sun barrel over them. He plopped down on his golden throne, taking a moment to fix the golden thorny crown on his head. It laid lopsided anyway.
Sometimes, Kid could not believe this was the same god who had fought Blackbeard and stood tall over his corpse, blood red eyes luminous and scar on his chest flaring and bleeding gold.
"Okay!" Nika's booming voice carried throughout the Heavenly Council, "Begin!"
Lackluster as always too. Kid sneered.
The sea god spoke, always there to pick up the slack, "Any petitions may move forward."
A god with long wavy blonde hair stepped forward, kneeling to the king before rising. Kid paid attention to the god of sorcery. The discord was strong in him.
"Your majesty, I have come asking once more about the god of music. He continues to harass my followers."
"Right," the king of the gods nodded and then asked, "Who are you again?"
Frustration marred the god's face at the disrespect. But when it was the king, no one could say anything.
Jinbei calmed the tension, "This is Basil Hawkins, the god of sorcery."
Nika snapped his fingers, "Oh yeah! Scarecrow!"
Another god came stumbling forward, double elbows with long arms and dark braided hair behind him.
"I have done no such thing!" The god of music proclaimed, chin raised, "You simply do not wish to accept they now favor me over you."
Hawkins bristled, "That is a lie!"
The two gods argued and Kid watched with a wide grin, eyes moving back and forth. He could sense a minor bloody dispute. They would seek him soon, he knew.
The king of the gods watched the whole affair but everyone knew he wasn't paying attention. Petitions, Nika once said in his first Heavenly Council as king, were boring. The dealings instead were left to the greater gods. Mostly Jinbei, as he was the right hand man.
The sea god rubbed his temple. Kid nearly pitied him.
Before the sea god could intervene, a shrill scream echoed in the chamber. Loud and piercing, halting the arguing gods as they turned to seek where the screech came from. There was a scuffle amongst the crowd and gasps rang in the air, sharp argumentative words spat and venomous.
The crowd parted suddenly, their faces filled with shock and terror. Kid straighten in his chair. Gods were not easily shocked, not like this.
A goddess was thrown to the floor, her white wings fluttering behind her back. Blonde parted hair fixed in a ponytail, fringes falling to her face. Her green dress looked odd on her. The fabric too big on her slim body. She was heaving, breathing in rapid successions, wide-eyed and frightened.
Kid furrowed his brows, trying to place her face and name but came up with nothing. Absolutely nothing.
That was incredibly alarming.
Beige sleeves dragged on the floor, the god of swamps angry and terrified as he pointed at her.
"Imposter! We have an imposter in our realm! She killed him! She killed the god of lightning!" Caribou shouted, keeping his distance from her, as if touching her would sully him, "She killed Enel! A servant killed her god and somehow replaced him! Now she stands here! Acting like one of us!"
Impossible.
The crowd was in disarray. Shouting and pushing past each other. Kid shifted uneasily. The gods seated were just as alarmed.
"Killer," Kid tersely said and his servant hastily answered.
"I remember her face. A new servant the god of lightning took some weeks back," Killer explained, hunched over to whisper to his ear.
"Please," the nameless thing pleaded, her shimmering brown eyes watery, "I- I had not mean to- I did not…." she sobbed, fists clenched tightly, unable to articulate any further.
The sand god was the first to speak, words damning, "She must die."
Beside the sand god, Boa hissed, "Obviously, she must die."
"Not until we know how this happened," the goddess of fortune countered, her smile strained.
"Cease your crying," the god of darkness commanded, "Pretender of lightning, what have you done? How is it that you stand here, in place of the god you swore to bind your soul to?"
Sniffing, the newly turned abnormal being's voice was shaky, "I- I don't know. Enel- he was hurting my people," she cried, "I couldn't just- I couldn't do nothing! I couldn't stand back and watch him torture my people! I stabbed him- I told him I was sorry, I told him I loved him!"
She rose to her feet, defiant but trembling all the same. Her gaze lifted and Kid felt his stomach twist into knots at her audacity.
She stared right at the king of the gods.
The sun, who had kept silent, face completely unreadable.
"I am Conis!" The woman proclaimed, "Enel promised me he would protect my people! And he lied! He broke his promise! What god does that!? How is that fair!? We give you gods everything!"
The sheer disrespect had Kid shout, "Do not speak to us this way, pretender!"
"Be careful with what you say, girl," Shanks warned, his normally joyous mood replaced by something cold, "Your life is in our hands."
"Gods are supposed to be divine and just," the pretender said, her voice pitching higher and higher with each word, her face twisting to desperation, "Merciful and forgiving! Kind and pious! Beautiful and righteous!"
She looked around her, her desperation mixed with anger.
"Are there no true gods among you!?"
The outrage was loud.
They called for an execution.
Kid was conflicted.
That reckless attitude… She would have been a wonderful goddess. It was such a shame she had to die.
Everything came to a halt when the floor split in the middle of the chamber.
The clouds ripped apart as though it was solid ground and the gods nearby jumped away, distressed and worried. The chamber of the Heavenly Council had prevailed since the existence of everything, indestructible and secured, woven from old timeless magic. To see it split so easily had many shouting in apprehension. Some of the gods stood up from their chair, tense. Wary.
Before any action could be taken, a god took shape from the cracked floor.
Tall menacing figure shrouded in darkness, cloak draped over the floor and the feathery hood obscured the face. Golden eyes illuminated, narrow and formidable. Kid was stiff- the sharp edge of power agitated him before it disappeared as the floor returned to its original state. He flickered to the other gods and knew he had not been mistaken when he saw their tight expressions.
That was a power that could rival the king.
Who-
"Torao!?"
The king of the gods bounced on his throne, red eyes bulging out of its sockets in shock before they retreated back into place with a snap. Nika waved his arms like an overeager child, bright eyed and smiling obnoxiously. Was that- there were hearts in the irises of the king.
Kid stared in disbelief.
"Torao! You're finally here!" Nika exclaimed sickeningly sweet, blush high on his cheeks, "Come sit next to me!"
The sea god face palmed. Rayleigh raised a brow. One of them was going to have to move. Someone snorted. It might have been the god of wine. Kid couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped him.
The king of the gods was fucking ridiculous.
Kid curiously observed the god of death, for there was only ever one god the sun was courting. A courting that had spanned for centuries and with Nika's big mouth, a courtship that was nearing its end. Truthfully, the courtship shouldn't have lasted this long but he knew better than to question it. Everyone knew the sun could ramble for hours about his precious god of death.
It stood to reason then, that the king simply liked courting death. It was a universal truth among the gods.
However, that reason alone wasn't his only interest.
This was the elusive deity that had remained hidden for several millennia. The same god who had scorned the last king of the gods and vowed to never set foot in the Heavenly Council. Tales of death were far and wide, although his reputation had improved immensely with Nika's blabbering mouth. From brother killer to the beloved of the sun.
But the god of death was here now, breaking the vow he had made. He had penetrated the domain of the Heavenly Council seamlessly. Effortlessly. Broke through the defenses of old timeless magic as though it was nothing.
In a simple act, death demonstrated his strength, and it was a sobering sight.
"My king," death's voice was a low timbre, "There are no open seats. I will not have you remove anyone from their chair."
Nika blinked, as if he hadn't thought about that. Knowing him, he likely hadn't. Gods, their king really was a fool.
The king of the gods looked at the sea god and at the god of darkness, red eyes brimming, and he stared back at death.
Kid tensed at the heavy pressure that raised in the chamber. Gods and goddesses alike stumbled as the king spoke the command.
"I am the king of the gods. You will sit beside me, as is your right as my future husband."
Nika's voice was tumultuous, thunderous enough that it brought shivers down Kid's spine. For a brief moment, it was eerily reminiscent of the old king who had sat on that golden throne. Carrying the same omniscient authority that forced everyone to obey.
A daunting reminder, Kid swallowed, that for all Nika played the fool, he was first and foremost the king.
A headache pounded in his head and Kid braced through it, refusing to show any weakness like the lesser gods clinging to one another while some of the godlings fainted from the pressure. So focused was he on his appearance that he missed the shift. When he stared back at the king, his golden throne had grown smaller. Next to him laid an exact replica of his throne. Same shade of gold, same height, and same design.
Kid blinked.
The goddess of fortune whispered, more to herself than anything else, tinged with nostalgia, "The throne of the queen."
The previous god of void had no spouse. He had ruled for so long Kid had almost forgotten the king who had sat before Blackbeard. Kid had not existed for his reign but he heard the name in passing.
The god of the sky. Gol D. Roger. He had been married. The name of the queen evaded Kid but he understood this was what Stussy was referring to.
Interesting.
Death wasted no time. He walked in long strides, staring ahead resolutely, outright avoiding everyone and the whispering murmurs. Kid arched a brow. It almost seemed like death did not enjoy the attention he was receiving. Odd. Death's steps did falter as he looked down at the pretender of lightning. She had remained quiet in the arrival of the god of death, her face ghostly pale, and she clutched at her chest, fists wrapping around the fabric of the dress, when golden eyes pierced her.
The god of death paused before the empty throne that was erected for him. The king of the gods smiled at his beloved and Kid lightly scoffed. He was aware of the rumors, knew the stories and legends of the more elaborate courting gifts. Gifting death a gleaming star from the skies, digging day and night for rare treasure sunken beneath the crust of the mortal realm, trespassing kingdoms and domains just for the chance of finding something exotic for his beloved death.
Nika was a lovesick fool. This was known. A dangerous lovesick fool for even the smallest word- the smallest hint- of protest to the courtship did not end well. Everyone had long since abandoned any attempt of changing the king's mind.
But to see it in person, it was much more obvious how damned the king of the gods was with the object of his affection in the same room.
When death sat on the throne, Kid admitted they posed a striking image. The king of the gods, bright as the sun that gleamed over them. The god of death- the soon to be queen, consort, whatever- shrouded in darkness by his side.
The god of death turned to stare at the king. A silent exchange passed. A hand raised, the sleeve falling back and exposing bronze skin and an inked hand that gleamed with golden rings of the sun's symbol. Death lowered his hood.
Another hush of silence.
Kid stared appreciatively at the face of death.
Well. No wonder Nika was so smitten.
Lips twitched though as he caught sight of the golden jewelry that adorned death's face. It was a loud statement. Subtle but affirming.
What a pair these two made. Both equally in love. Ugh. Disgusting.
The king of gods addressed the entire chamber with a livelier expression, "Continue!"
Rayleigh spoke first, glancing at death before his gaze landed on the king, "Your majesty, for a servant to kill the god they pledged their soul to and to ascend to godhood- it is unheard of. She must be punished for her crime. An execution will erase her unnatural existence and bring about the rightful god of lightning."
"She does not respect us either," Crocodile glared at the pretender, who was trembling despite the attempts to maintain a brave expression, "Let us be done with this pest and act as though it never happened."
"It is sad," the god of healing softly said, "But it must be done."
The goddess of beauty flicked her long dark hair, something akin to sympathy on her beautiful face, "Such a shame, really. She would have served better as my servant instead of that fool Enel. None of this would have happened under my watch."
"Enel," death said, his deep voice commanding their attention. His expression was stoic. Stern. A wild contrast to Nika's toothy smile. He hadn't stopped smiling since death arrived. "The god of lightning. I remember him. He trespassed too closely to my domain once. I nearly killed him myself."
The god of death measured the pretender, who stiffened under his attention, "I should thank you. I despised him."
"He was not well liked, I admit," Stussy said, her fingers tapping on the armrest of the chair, curiously staring at death. They were all aware of the hatred the god of death held for many of them, the sun obviously an exception, "But this does not excuse what she has done."
Kid sighed, ready to move on and back on track to the discord that sang in his blood, "Let's just kill her already and be over it."
"No."
The command was firm. The god of death remained stoic.
"Exile," death suddenly proclaimed, golden eyes glimmering, "Her punishment will be exile. She will be cut off from the godly realm. She will not live among us and she never will. Let her spend eternity wallowing in despair with the mortals. Living among them and relying on their support. God only in name but living as the mortal she is and always will be."
Gasps were drawn out. Shrieks and horrified shouts.
Kid tensed, frozen in his chair. Many of the other greater gods stared incredulously at death.
That was a cruel fate. Not even Blackbeard was that cruel.
To cut off a god from the godly realm… it was a humiliation. Reverting to a helpless thing wandering among the mortal realm while every god turned its back, shunned for the rest of their existence.
Kid flickered to the king of the gods. Surely, Nika would not allow this-
"Don't you agree, my king?"
The heavy pit in Kid's stomach twisted, churning uneasily.
The king of the gods blinked once. Twice. His head tilted, observing death's firm expression.
Nika then stared down at the pretender.
Kid's stomach dropped.
"Goddess of lightning, Conis," the air charged with an omniscient power, unyielding and mighty, "You are exiled. Leave the Heavenly Council, leave the godly realm, and never return."
The goddess of lightning was wide-eyed. Her shoulders dropped. She swallowed, flitting her gaze to the god of death, and slowly nodded. She turned her back and there was wide berth as she walked out of the chamber. Not a single deity spoke as she left. Silence, as they all watched her leave.
Conis had not stared back either. Shocked, Kid thought. She was shocked. To no longer be amongst the gods. Kid barely suppressed the shiver. A terrible fate had befallen her.
A fate, Kid realized with horror, that could now happen to anyone.
"Great! She left!" The king of the gods said, oblivious to the tension. Red eyes gleamed as he pointed at the god of sorcery, "You. Scarecrow. Tell me again what your petition was. I already forgot."
Hawkins swallowed, the bob in his throat visible, and he replied, "The god of music. He refuses to stop harassing my followers. This is the third time I've petitioned, your majesty. I do not wish to start a war but if he does not stop, then it is inevitable."
"Who is the god of music?" Death cut in.
Apoo's back straightened, trying and failing to hide his nervousness, "That would be me," he stopped short, uncertain on how to address the god of death. Death was not married to the king yet.
Golden eyes stared down the god of music, "Those are not your followers, god of music, you will cease the harassment," his lips curled, a smirk that was cruel. Borderline creepy. All the beauty in it disappeared, "If you do not, then perhaps time in the mortal realm will make you reconsider."
Kid's disbelief was shared by his companions.
The god of death was threatening exile.
The god of music paled instantly and he stumbled over his words, "NO! No! I- He- You do not have to worry! I will leave them be. I swear it."
The smirk shifted to something satisfactory. Death addressed the god of sorcery, "If he continues, let me know."
Hawkins look as though he had no idea how to respond to that. Eventually the god nodded slowly, hesitant, before raising his chin.
"God of death, I am Basil Hawkins, the god of sorcery."
"Basil Hawkins," death acknowledged, "I am the god of death, Trafalgar D. Water Law."
The god of sorcery stepped aside and the thrum of discord Kid had felt from him and the god of music was snuffed out. Empty like a flame who had melted all the wax. Kid drew his lips to a thin line. What a pity.
Jinbei cleared his throat as he scrutinized death. There was a glint in his eyes that passed too quickly.
The sea god looked upon the masses, "The next petition may step forward."
For the rest of the Heavenly Council, Kid and the other gods witnessed a change. A shift in tone that would set the precedent for eternity.
The king of the gods had a prowess that shook the godly and mortal realm. But the long years of peace had dulled the fear of his fist and worsened when Nika proved to be a useless incompetent ruler who relied on the sea god. Even then, the king never paid attention, always waving the issue away or interfering only when his interest was piqued.
It was why the discord was strong- coursing underneath his skin, ripe for a bloody war. A war that the sun would win because Kid had seen his ferocity, his fire, his blinding strength. Most of the gods had not seen it- and it was why they thought they had a chance.
Yet.
"If tributes matter that much to you, then offer the goddess of harvest a favor," the god of death said, commanding and stalwart, "It need not be repaid now. When she wants to call you for it, then you must be ready to answer."
"It does not matter who is at fault," death hissed at two squabbling gods who had demanded retribution while Nika shrugged every time, endlessly amused by the petty fighting, "If you two do not reconcile, than I am certain the king will have no qualms locking you both up for a century until you two act like gods and not as bratty children."
Death issued commands as though this was his court. His words were final, any protest withering away when the king of the gods giggled, utterly infatuated by his ruthless lover.
"You're so smart, Torao!"
And that was it. Nika supported every decision the god of death made, any boredom long since abandoned, dopily smiling at death with a chin in hand, as though the answer to the universe laid in golden shimmering eyes.
Embarrassing. The king of the gods had no shame.
The petitions came to an end and any lingering discord- that silent cry for bloodshed Kid had almost salivated for- was erased out of existence. Annoyance coiled in him as he stood up from his chair the moment Nika ended the council. He felt more than saw his servant shuffling to keep up with him.
"Kid," Killer quietly called, calm and ever poised to bring him back from his frustration, "You cannot leave. You know you cannot. You must give death your name. Everyone is doing it-"
"I know!" Kid retorted, stopping short and gritting his teeth, "I know. But it's better for me to be pissed here than over there."
He took a deep breath, the anger and frustration bleeding out in slow intervals. His servant stepped around him, mask perfectly in place and long hair wild and loose behind him.
Killer tilted his head, voice low, "You've been off for weeks."
Kid dryly laughed, "I was brimming for the taste of blood."
His servant pointedly looked back and Kid felt a rise of vexation.
"I am not going to thank that bastard."
Raising a placating hand, Killer said, "I didn't say anything."
"You didn't fucking have to."
His servant did not reply, merely waited in silence. Well used to Kid's ever changing mood, to the fluctuation that made him be who he was. Kid knew that if they had no prying eyes, Killer would have offered a shoulder. Comfort. Solace.
Sometimes, Kid despised that his servant was mortal. Other times it made him glad- having Killer's soul for eternity was a pleasant thought.
Reluctantly, Kid turned his back and sauntered back to the gods clamoring for death's name. He pushed past lesser deities, sneering when they dared to glare only to cower in fear. The god of the night had just introduced himself, hawk eyes unblinking and unnerving. Death's name left his lips, the god no doubt tired of saying it over and over but showed none of it.
Kid stopped until he was in front of death, shoving a lesser god who had been stuttering his introduction.
"Beloved of the king of the gods," Kid smirked, relishing the narrow golden eyes, "I am the god of war, Eustass Kid."
Death did not raise to the bait. Instead, the god gave him a sharp expression. Nika, oblivious as ever, remained clueless, and in fact seemed to have appreciated the title he gave the god of death if his thumbs up was any indication.
"God of death, Trafalgar D. Water Law," death curtly said, "You left your seat quite abruptly after the council. You looked angry."
His smirk was cutting, "I'm always angry when the call for war has been nulled."
Law's stony face hardened, "And you did not think to tell your king of your calling?"
Kid shrugged, hiding a grin, "The king doesn't ask."
The god of death glared. The expression barely lasted, not when Nika rambunctiously laughed, his voice carrying in the chamber.
"Don't worry so much, Torao!" The king reassured death with a stupid smile, "Gizao knows he doesn't need to tell me anything," the smile was suddenly deceivingly sweet, tone nonchalant and confident, "I'll win no matter what."
The king of the gods did not say it with arrogance. He said it as though it was a fact. An irrefutable truth. Because it was truth.
Unless the god of death somehow rebelled, the sun would continue to reign for the rest of their existence.
"You heard the king," Kid couldn't help but say, getting the last word before walking away.
Well, at least Kid no longer needed to look over his shoulder. No longer needed to tremble with anticipation of what-ifs.
A solid hand pressed against his back. His servant sensing everything despite not saying a damn thing.
Kid exhaled and finally left the Heavenly Council.