Mephisto's schemes were not particularly sophisticated, mainly because the other Hell Dimension lords had no way to deal with him effectively.
Since the Hell Dimension was already under scrutiny from other dimensions, they figured they might as well extract some benefits before taking further action. Even if this meant allowing Mephisto to gain an advantage, it was preferable to doing nothing and letting him profit freely.
The key aspect of Mephisto's plan was that when the dimensional lords were taken from Doom, the contract between Doom and Mephisto remained unfulfilled. Mephisto had not received the dimensional lords, meaning Doom's efforts were in vain. To renegotiate with Mephisto, Doom would have to complete the contract anew or accept new terms dictated by Mephisto.
If Mephisto decided to repeat this cycle—having Doom capture more dimensional lords only for other Hell Dimension lords to seize them—Doom might find himself working endlessly for the Hell Dimension without gaining anything in return.
After the immediate threats subsided, the Ancient One realized this predicament. Her expression darkened, though she also felt helpless.
The attackers earlier were too numerous and powerful. Protecting herself and Doom had been challenging enough; safeguarding the dimensional lords had been impossible.
With a swish, Mephisto's avatar appeared before the Ancient One and Doom. He wasn't worried about the other Hell Dimension lords returning, given how close he was to his own domain. He could retreat in mere moments if necessary.
Of course, this wasn't Mephisto's true form but merely an avatar.
"Oh? What brings you here? Are you here to fulfill your promise?" Mephisto asked, feigning surprise. "But where are the dimensional lords? Did you seal them away with some spatial ability?"
"You—!" Doom, shaken from his earlier shock, finally grasped the situation.
"Mephisto, is this performance of yours supposed to be amusing?" The Ancient One frowned, her eyes locking onto Mephisto. "You hide in your domain, afraid to show your face, and now you're pretending not to know what just happened. How ridiculous."
"Ridiculous? Perhaps." Mephisto shrugged nonchalantly. "But the real issue here isn't whether I'm ridiculous or not. The issue is that you came to fulfill a contract yet failed to deliver the dimensional lords.
"You can claim they were taken, but our agreement was that you would hand them over to me—not merely bring them to the Hell Dimension. Coming here empty-handed doesn't fulfill the terms of the contract!"
His voice dripped with mockery as he looked at Doom expectantly, eager to see if anger or frustration might provoke him into doing something reckless.
Mephisto had a vested interest in Doom's soul—not just because of his connection to Cynthia but also due to Doom's formidable power and his relationship with Robert. Despite his fear of Robert's strength, Mephisto saw Doom as a useful intermediary, provided he didn't push him too far.
Elsewhere in the Hell Dimension, Robert's figure appeared in a certain domain, nine dimensional lords hovering beside him. As he arrived, a cold gaze locked onto him.
"A Saiyan? You—" The speaker was none other than Lucifer, the most powerful fallen angel and a top lord of the Hell Dimension.
"So it's you. I thought this aura felt familiar," Robert said, somewhat surprised. "But there's no conflict between us. You've never caused trouble on Earth like Mephisto has."
"Honestly, I never expected that child from back then to grow to such heights," Lucifer said, his tone carrying a hint of wonder. "I've heard much about you, observed you from afar, but seeing you now, I realize your strength is truly terrifying."
"Do you have any regrets about our earlier encounters?" Robert asked with a smirk. "If you'd acted against me back then, perhaps the Hell Dimension would now have one less enemy."
"Regret? What for?" Lucifer chuckled softly. "I have no stake in the Hell Dimension's affairs. When I was vacationing on Earth, I avoided entanglements for precisely this reason. Intervening would've disrupted the natural course of events."
"After all, the Kryptonian child was the true center of that world back then. My role was simply that of an observer."
"As for these dimensional lords," Lucifer continued, "you acted quickly. Other Hell Dimension lords would've immediately studied them or handed them over to the Hell Dimension consciousness."
With a faint hum, the body of a dimensional lord drifted toward Robert under Lucifer's gaze.
"Indeed, they made that choice. Fortunately, I intercepted them and had a... civil conversation," Robert said, controlling the dimensional lord with a thought.
"Judging by the lack of commotion, your reasoning must've been very persuasive," Lucifer mused with a wry smile. "No Hell Dimension lord wants to see your... less reasonable side."
"Precisely. Sacrificing a single dimensional lord isn't worth the risk of making me an enemy," Robert said, gathering the dimensional lords under his control. Before disappearing, he left Lucifer with a parting remark that left the latter momentarily stunned.
"You, Lucifer, are the only one here who doesn't harbor malice. The others may feign civility, but their minds are always scheming."
Lucifer sat in silence for a long time, lost in thought. Then he chuckled bitterly, murmuring, "No malice? Perhaps it's not that I lack malice, but rather, I simply don't care about such trivialities.
"After all, in my countless years here, I've seen everything. Why bother entangling myself in these messy affairs when I can enjoy the show instead?
"Take Mephisto's current predicament, for example. Isn't it delightful entertainment?"
Lucifer's gaze shifted toward Mephisto's domain, where his avatar stood smirking at Doom and the Ancient One. That smirk froze when Robert suddenly appeared, carrying the nine dimensional lords.
Mephisto's expression darkened. If it were just Robert, he might still attempt to negotiate. But seeing the dimensional lords in Robert's hands, Mephisto cursed inwardly.
"Seriously? Are you all so afraid of Saiyans? Not one of you, despite your power, could prevent him from taking back these dimensional lords?"
"What a joke! With allies like this, how is the Hell Dimension supposed to grow stronger?"
Mephisto's irritation was palpable. He had planned everything meticulously, anticipating that even if Robert intervened, at least some of the dimensional lords would be sacrificed to the Hell Dimension consciousness. This would still give him leverage and allow him to shift blame onto Robert.
But now, his plans had crumbled.
"Why aren't you smiling? Don't you enjoy smiling?" Robert taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. "Oh, this is just your avatar? Perhaps I should visit your true self instead."
Robert signaled to the Ancient One and Doom. The three vanished, reappearing moments later in Mephisto's grand palace, where his true form sat upon a throne, his expression dark and unreadable.
"Saiyan!" Mephisto growled, his voice seething with barely contained fury.
Robert's audacity was akin to someone barging into Mephisto's bedchamber uninvited. Worse, Robert could bring others with him, making Mephisto's defenses seem utterly futile.
"Call me what you like. I'm not here to pick a fight." Robert's voice, though calm, carried an undeniable weight, reaching even the farthest dimensions. Countless powerful beings turned their attention to the Hell Dimension, curious about what was unfolding.
"Doom, show the contract," Robert commanded before Mephisto could respond.
Doom, understanding the cue, activated the contract's magic. The glowing terms of the agreement appeared in the air, visible to all the onlookers who had been spying on the scene.
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