A moment of carelessness has led to today's dire situation.
Mephisto felt that his demonic life was tough.
However, he quickly became invigorated. He absolutely could not sit and wait for death; he had to save himself. He knew that if war broke out in Heaven, he would inevitably be unable to escape. The ultimate result would be that he would drain Hell's power and perish together with the angels.
This approach was too extreme, and Mephisto didn't want to resort to it.
Moreover, this method was very disadvantageous for Mephisto himself.
After all, Heaven had the Pool of Rebirth. Even if he drained Hell's power and killed the angels, those angels could be resurrected through the Pool of Rebirth. Although it would take a lot of time and resources to restore them to their former strength, the enormous benefit of killing Mephisto and occupying Hell was well worth it.
Mephisto did not want to become a trophy; he still desired progress.
Being the ruler of Hell was not his end goal; his ambition was not yet fully realized. So, what was the best course of action?
Of course, surrender.
If he couldn't win, he would surrender and attach himself to another power. This was very common in Hell, even considered the most normal procedure.
To climb to the position of Hell's ruler, Mephisto had employed this tactic countless times, doing so with finesse. Though it seemed somewhat embarrassing to his current status, survival took precedence over pride.
Only by staying alive could he have a chance to progress.
As for whom to rely on, Heaven was immediately ruled out. The hypocritical inhabitants of Heaven, who cherished light and justice, would only deal with a demon like him by killing him. To Heaven, a dead Mephisto was the best Mephisto.
Mephisto, who could rival Yahweh, was too suitable to become a legendary tale under Yahweh's glory. Yahweh might personally execute him to remove an unstable factor and consolidate his rule over Heaven.
In general, anyone could seek refuge in Heaven, but the demons of Hell were not even qualified to be Heaven's dogs; they could only become trophies, honors, and promotion capital for Heaven's forces.
Having ruled out Heaven, Mephisto considered other options. Dormammu was also excluded. Although Dormammu was strong, he was too domineering and unpredictable. Mephisto doubted whether Dormammu might just swallow him whole.
Besides, Mephisto had no other candidates.
Eventually, his attention returned to the Ancient One and Bi Xiao. He even considered Asgard.
Asgard was also excluded. Odin was old and decrepit. Mephisto had already been eyeing Asgard secretly, waiting for an opportunity to carve it up once Odin was gone.
An old tiger was not a good mountain lord.
So, the only options left were the Ancient One and Bi Xiao. The former, like Odin, could beat him, but Mephisto believed that she wasn't much stronger than him. The only reason she could beat him was because he didn't fight with all his might.
Of course, if Mephisto fought with all his power, drawing on Hell's strength, he feared the Ancient One would also draw on the power of the Vishanti dimension without hesitation.
The Ancient One was crazy enough that Mephisto feared her.
Mephisto did not want mutual destruction, so he had this predicament. He was both wary and admiring of the Ancient One, but he would never submit to her.
Bi Xiao was different. He was very young, so young that Mephisto wondered if he was the representative of some ancient god. Otherwise, how could a mere twenty-year-old have the strength to defeat ten demon lords alone? That kind of power was almost as exaggerated as young Odin at his peak.
Young, powerful, with limitless potential — wasn't that a perfect ally?
Bi Xiao reaching the level of a universal entity was almost certain, just a matter of time. As a twenty-year-old, did Bi Xiao lack time?
Mephisto immediately chose him.
Then a new problem arose: what if Bi Xiao killed him when he approached?
To ensure safety, Mephisto summoned his son, Blackheart.
Centuries ago, in a place called Crown of Thorns, numerous murders occurred. The hill was filled with mysterious powers, thorny roses, and crows circling overhead, exuding evil. These murders attracted Mephisto's attention, and he went to the mortal realm, using the resentment there to create a son, Blackheart.
Blackheart was special; due to his unique creation, he had no soul. Therefore, abilities like the Penance Stare, which burned souls with Hellfire, were useless against him.
Blackheart grew quickly, surprising even Mephisto, and his ambition was apparent. Blackheart wanted to overthrow Mephisto and become Hell's ruler.
Mephisto had always been aware but never stopped him. Now, feeling threatened by Blackheart, Mephisto saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
He would use his son to test Bi Xiao.
No matter the outcome, Mephisto could accept it.
"Father."
Blackheart had black skin, muscles, and a demonic face without a mouth, like wearing a mask. His eyes were crimson, his hair long and spiky, with a long tail — completely different from Mephisto's red demonic form.
Seeing Mephisto, Blackheart showed respect, though Mephisto could see the ambition beneath it. He made up his mind as he sat on the Satanic Throne, resting his face on one hand.
"Blackheart, I need you to do something."
"At your service, my father."
~~~
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— Completed (Chapter 277: Finale)