Volume 5 Chapter 0087 The Lord of Deceit and Conspiracy - I, The Dragon Overlord

"I have no intention of using deceit or conspiracy against you devils, nor do I seek anything from Baator. What I desire is sheer slaughter—pure and undeniable slaughter: assassination, murder, carnage, execution, massacre, vendetta... All I seek is this, only the most genuine form of slaughter!" Louie unfurled his massive wings, lifting his enormous draconic form, his presence overwhelming the leading devils and instilling an involuntary fear in their expressions. "Devils, the battle for supreme monarchy is the stage for you to showcase your cunning, governance, military prowess, and valor. Only in the blood war can you truly exhibit your kingly stature. Employ your conspiracies, utilize your intrigues, command your disciplined devilish legions, and unleash your powerful martial might. Go forth to slaughter the demons!" "...Let other devils witness your abilities; let them be convinced and loyal. Then, you will ascend to the highest throne on the corpses of countless demons, under the reverent gaze of the devils, entering the ninth layer of hell, Nessus. The Fortress of Nessus awaits you there; the throne of Hell's King is yours to claim!" Louie's dragon roar echoed at the nexus between the Nine Hells, filled with fervor and unwavering will, urging the devils to ignite a blood war, to stir their impulses with burning passion. Having deceived the gods, Louie's domains of conspiracy and deceit had begun to tap into their primal forces. When Louie initiated his schemes, the primal forces would flow uncontrollably, corrupting the minds of living beings and seducing their consciousness. Even the gods could fall under its sway, and these leading devils were now influenced, caught between skepticism and allure, with a growing drive to act. The devils, who were born into a world of intrigue, did not believe a single word of Louie's claim of being free from any conspiracies. However, his intention of seeking slaughter was readily accepted by the leading devils. The mischief Louie had stirred in the Abyss was no secret to the keen, especially given his brazen actions. Both gods and the devils, who were mortal enemies of demons, were aware of at least some of it. As the current rulers of hell, the eight devil lords were particularly convinced of Louie's killing spree in the Abyss. He deceived the Abyssal consciousness by having a daughter with the Succubus Queen, then helped his daughter secure territories within the Abyss using his divine power. The newly ascended demon lord had now completely occupied the first three layers of the Abyss, historically the grounds of blood wars. The devils were suddenly enlightened, believing they had grasped the intentions of this Dragon God. By urging his daughter to occupy the blood war zones and enticing the devils into the conflict, he aimed to control a blood war, seeking ultimate recognition through killing. The Blood War between the Abyss and Hell is the largest battlefield of slaughter in the San Soliel world. In the distant past, during the era when the ancient god of slaughter lived, that deity sought to fully grasp the primal forces of slaughter, participating personally in a blood war to grow stronger. It was during that god's participation that the harshness of the Blood War became evident, as the deity fell under the onslaught of demon lords, devil lords, and their endless armies. A god exhausting their divine power and perishing completely was unprecedented. The ancient God of Slaughter never made it to the astral plane, losing all chances of resurrection, dying utterly. The Prince of Lies, by sheer luck, gained the trust of the one compromised by the chaos and order the god held, eventually acquiring that divine domain. That is the origin of the Prince of Lies. The eight devil lords speculated that the current Dragon God and God of Slaughter aimed to emulate that ancient deity by joining a blood war. This Dragon God, however, intended to be cunning and sly, aiming to manipulate both sides of the Blood War to gain greater power. Recognizing this, the devil lords admired his ingenuity and audacity, fitting of the master of deception and conspiracy who instilled fear even among devils. After piecing all of this together, the devil lords felt compelled to act. Noticing the change in the devils' mindset, Louie pressed on: "...The Blood War has been ongoing for countless millennia. Since the disaster era, devils and demons have suffered significant losses, which is why a blood war hasn't occurred in the last thirty thousand years!" "...The first Blood War was initiated by Asmodeus, once the Lord of Hell. He ascended to become the King of Baator because of it. What secrets does the Blood War hold? Why do demons and devils continue to wage it? Are you not curious? Perhaps Asmodeus became the ruler of Hell by gaining benefits from the Blood War!" Louie's words ignited the devils' ambitions, leaving them with no choice but to follow. Louie's speech aroused their suspicion, causing them to speculate whether Asmodeus truly gained his power through the Blood War. If so, among the eight lords, someone was bound to initiate a blood war attempt, forcing the others to join in. Should the bold leader gain advantages from this, it would completely disrupt the balance within hell. Seeing the devils' expressions, Louie knew he had them secured. Their ambitions and mutual distrust would drive these devil lords into the Blood War per his designs. Meanwhile, Louie himself began to wonder about the true purpose of the Blood War. Although one could argue Asmodeus, being an angel before his fall, would naturally view demons as enemies post-fall, the rationale felt insufficient. Human historians might attribute the Blood War to reasons like sheer hatred, philosophical clashes, preemptive strikes, or primal control desires. These analyses seemed logical, but Louie's divine intuition told him the Blood War was far from simple, hiding a colossal secret. One that might have eluded even the ancient gods! Yet, the Blood War was perilous—a conflict that could absorb the very essence of a god. During its course, domains like destruction, war, and slaughter would reach a fever pitch, threatening to tear even a deity asunder. It's akin to the power leakage of a godly being without consciousness; even a mere vibration of such power would make gods of substantial might retreat. Still, the secret of the Blood War enticed Louie to partake, driven to uncover what might lie hidden within.