While Kairos and Lom spoke, the three Gods huddled in the back of the sphere.

They stared at the projection which didn't appear like the weak nobel demon like before, but as a devil incarnate.

They realized they had sold their souls for a chance at revenge, only to find themselves trapped.

Heck, it wasn't even their revenge, they had no enmity with Cosmos, it was just that they wanted to please the demon lords.

"M-Master Lom," one of the subordinates stammered, stepping forward. "Is... is there any way? Is there any path where we can survive and destroy this city?"

Lom's eyes shifted to the subordinate. A slow, devilish smile spread across his lips.

"I remember you," Lom said. "You were the one who called me a 'weak noble with backing'."

The subordinate turned pale, his knees knocking together.

"But I am magnanimous," Lom continued smoothly. "Since you are my pawns, you have every right to struggle for life. I wouldn't want my tools to break before they are used."

The four Gods leaned in, desperate for a lifeline. They knew that right now, Lom was the only thing standing between them and the wrath of six billion deities.

"I never said you had to destroy the city physically," Lom explained, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Physical destruction is crude. It is for beasts with no brains."

"What I meant was... destroy it internally. Rot it from the inside out."

Lom began to speak. He laid out a plan that was not built on fire and blood, but on rumours and poison.

He spoke of Divide and Conquer. He spoke of exploiting the diversity of the races below, of planting seeds of doubt about the Emperor, of sabotaging the Faith network.

As the four Gods listened, their expressions shifted from fear to horror. They looked at Lom like they were seeing the king of hell itself.

If they followed this plan... the downfall of the City of Gods wouldn't happen in a day. It would be a slow and agonizing. But it was possible.

"That is all," Lom said, leaning back. "I wish you luck once again. And remember... I am watching everything through the Pearl. Do not do anything stupid that you might regret in the afterlife."

Zap.

The connection cut abruptly. The face of the demon vanished, leaving the Pearl smooth and black once more.

The four Gods heaved a sigh of relief, though the plan felt difficult to carry, it was their only hope.

They knew if somehow they can pull it off, then they will not only get their revenge but also survive while doing so.

"Let's go, find some companions first" Kairos said as they walked deeper into the city of Gods.

Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm.

Far away from the light of world of living, in a dimension choked by red skies and black mountains, a different game was being played.

On the peak of an obsidian mountain, two figures sat opposite each other at a small stone table. A chessboard lay between them.

One was Lom, looking as pristine and bored as ever. The other was his massive, blood-armored Guard.

"Master," the Guard rumbled, moving a knight. "Will they be able to pull that off? The plan requires manipulation and intelligence. Those Gods seemed... Like fools."

The Guard knew the rule. Never ask questions. But his curiosity was a burning itch he couldn't scratch.

He had watched Lom manipulate Kairos, and the complexity of the scheme baffled him.

Lom looked at his servant with blank, dead eyes. The silence stretched for a long, uncomfortable minute.

Then, suddenly, Lom laughed.

"I don't have high expectations," Lom admitted, picking up his rook. "That Cosmos... he is not simple. He has hidden cards. I know Kairos and his fools will die."

He slid the rook across the board, knocking over the Guard's pawn with a satisfying clack.

"But even if they only manage to kill a few hundred Gods... or destroy a single district... or sow just a fraction of doubt... it will be my victory. Because I wouldn't have lost anything of value."

"But Master," the Guard pressed, dumbfounded by the answer. "Why didn't we go there ourselves? Yes, they number in the billions, but you possess power they cannot comprehend. We could slaughter them all."

Lom sighed. He looked disappointed.

"We cannot enter the God Space unnoticed like they did," Lom explained patiently. "To enter, we would need to break the space. The moment space fractures, the Gods will detect it. And I do not care about the billions of insects."

Lom's eyes narrowed. "My worry is Cosmos and Adam. If Adam is truly back... a direct fight is suicidal."

He looked down at the board.

"Perhaps your curiosity is now solved," Lom said softly.

He picked up his Queen and moved it to the final square, trapping the Guard's King.

"Checkmate."

Lom stood up. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket and began to wipe his hands, though there was nothing on them.

"And now... go to sleep."

The Guard blinked. "Mas-"

SPLAT.

There was no spell. No visible attack. The Guard simply ceased to be, and became a splatter of gore painting the obsidian rocks.

The pressure that descended was so sudden and absolute that the Guard didn't even have time to scream.

Lom wiped a speck of blood from his cheek, looking at the mess with mild annoyance.

"Maya," he called out to the empty air.

From the deepest shadows of the mountain, a figure emerged. She was sleek, dark and moved with the silence of a shadow.

"Yes, Master," she whispered, bowing low.

"Go find a new servant," Lom ordered, tossing the bloody handkerchief onto the corpse. "And this time... try to find someone who doesn't ask so many questions. It is becoming tedious to train them."

He turned to look at the red horizon.

"If the next one asks me even a single question... it will be your turn to die."

Maya didn't flinch. She simply waved her hand. Dark magic swirled, and the broken remains of the Guard vanished into thin air, leaving the mountaintop pristine once more.

"Understood, Master," she replied.

Lom smiled, a true monster in a land of monsters, and turned his gaze back toward the distant stars.

"Cosmos and Adam, will you be able to catch those fools before they carry on my plan?" He said with a chuckle.

"This is so much fun" he laughed out aloud as he walked down the obsidian mountain and towards the capital city of demons.

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