(3rd Person POV)
Kaiser finally grasped the situation, though shock and confusion still dominated his expression. The idea that a young demon could claim divine authority beyond his own specialty—and accomplish it merely by establishing a financial institution—defied everything he understood about divine ascension.
"This remains utterly incomprehensible," Kaiser said, furrowing his brow deeply. "How does someone acquire faith simply by opening a bank? And more puzzling—how did you conceal the Monetary Faith so completely from my senses? Even legendary artifacts shouldn't enable such rapid faith conversion without detection."
Arthur offered no explanation. The truth was that his system handled the conversion process automatically, eliminating the complex rituals other deities required.
"I've answered your questions as requested. Time to honor your bargain," Arthur stated firmly. "I trust you'll keep your word?"
Kaiser studied Arthur carefully, still in his imposing Primal Morningstar form. 'His power multiplies several times in that transformation,' he calculated silently, then glanced at Keanu, who remained ready for combat. 'Defeating both would require sacrificing multiple contingencies. The cost isn't worth the conflict.'
Despite his crushing defeat, Kaiser found himself oddly entertained by the situation. A genuine smile spread across his features. "I am indeed a god of my word. I'll join your cause—"
"Words alone won't suffice. We need guarantees," Keanu interrupted sharply, producing a scroll and inscribing ancient symbols upon it. "You must swear by «The Word» that you'll stand with us."
Kaiser recoiled slightly at the suggestion.
«The Word»—the entity above all others, prime witness to every reality, creator of universal law. No deity truly understood whether The Word was singular or plural, male or female, everywhere or nowhere. Most assumed The Word simply existed as the foundation of all existence.
When deities swore by The Word, they risked their very souls. Breaking such an oath meant complete annihilation.
"Your silence speaks volumes. Are you frightened?" Keanu didn't miss the opportunity to provoke. "Have you already sworn your loyalty to the Three Known Gods before The Word?"
Kaiser shook his head emphatically. "Actually, the Three Known Gods—specifically Solarus—despise The Word entirely. They prefer personal loyalty oaths sworn to them directly."
Keanu burst into laughter. "Solarus believes he's superior to The Word itself? That's absolutely ridiculous!"
Arthur couldn't suppress his own smirk at such absurd arrogance.
Keanu flashed toward Kaiser with a kick, but the God of Wealth had already dissolved into currency and reformed elsewhere. "Believe it or not, that's the truth," Kaiser said calmly.
Despite his initial skepticism, Keanu found Kaiser's earnest expression convincing. Besides, such arrogance from the Three Known Gods wouldn't be surprising.
"I'm willing to join and even swear by The Word—but I have one condition," Kaiser said, focusing on Arthur.
Arthur considered this carefully. "State your terms."
"I remain furious about your theft of my domain—but I suppose I can tolerate sharing," Kaiser said with exaggerated melancholy before his expression shifted to cunning satisfaction. "I'm willing to cooperate because I've conceived a mutually beneficial arrangement."
Arthur could sense the scheming behind Kaiser's words but felt no threat from whatever proposal was coming. "Explain this arrangement."
Kaiser waved his hand, conjuring luxurious cushions made entirely of compressed currency, along with ornate chairs for his guests. "Please, be comfortable."
Arthur and Keanu exchanged wary glances before settling onto the unusual furniture, curious about what Kaiser's entrepreneurial mind had devised.
"I'm well aware of your genius in the entertainment industry, so I have a small request," Kaiser said, pinching his fingers together to emphasize how modest his proposal was.
"I want you to create a television program where desperate individuals compete for money. Similar to Hellfire's Got Talent, but far more intense."
Arthur tilted his head with curiosity. "What's your motivation behind this request?"
Kaiser's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he rubbed his hands together. "As someone who also consumes Monetary Faith, you must understand—we receive significantly purer and more potent faith from mortals who desperately crave wealth and will sacrifice anything to obtain it. Their raw, consuming emotions somehow amplify the quality of their devotion." He paused, savoring the concept. "I call such individuals 'slaves to coin.'"
Arthur maintained his composed exterior, though internally he was stunned. 'Desperate emotions actually enhance the quality of Monetary Faith? This is completely new information to me.'
Since his system handled all faith processing automatically, he'd never needed to understand these nuances.
"I understand your proposal now. You want me to create an entertainment program where desperate people compete against each other for monetary prizes?" Arthur studied Kaiser with growing comprehension of the scheme's darker implications.
Kaiser nodded enthusiastically. "Precisely! Given your reputation as Arthur Pendragon, I'm confident you could design something truly compelling for desperate souls." His expression grew more animated. "If you could create something where participants might even consider killing each other for money, we'd harvest incredibly rich Monetary Faith. The concept intrigues you, doesn't it?" His eyes widened with manic energy, like someone trying to convince a friend to join in a twisted experiment.
Keanu's voice cut through Kaiser's pitch with cold insight. "I see your real motivation. You've grown bored after centuries of existence, and now you want to entertain yourself by manipulating mortal lives."
"What? Absolutely not!" Kaiser waved his hands in frantic denial. "This is purely about maintaining my access to quality Monetary Faith!"
Despite his protests, his true intentions were transparently obvious. While such a program might indeed generate superior faith from participants' desperation, Kaiser's primary motivation was clearly his own amusement. The enhanced faith was merely a convenient justification for what amounted to divine sadism born from immortal boredom.
"I can create what you're requesting," Arthur agreed. "A show where desperate participants will do anything for money—even kill each other."
Kaiser's eyes lit up with interest.
"However—"
That word stopped Kaiser mid-celebration.
"Only criminals and dangerous individuals. People already condemned by society." Arthur's tone carried finality. "I won't involve innocents."
Kaiser's face fell. "But innocents produce purer Monetary Faith. Their genuine desperation creates stronger emotional resonance."
Arthur sighed. "Those are my terms. And this won't be broadcast publicly—it'll remain private. Only you and select guests can watch."
"What?" Kaiser's disappointment deepened. "A wider audience would generate far more faith."
"The public doesn't need that level of violence, and no kingdom would allow it on air anyway," Arthur explained matter-of-factly. "If you accept these conditions, I'll handle everything—find isolated land, build the facilities."
Kaiser considered the proposal, his mind calculating reduced benefits against unique opportunity. Finally, he nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Let's proceed."
With agreement reached, Kaiser formalized their alliance by swearing his oath before The Word—the entity binding all divine promises.
Keanu watched intently, his distrust obvious. This was the same Kaiser who had supposedly betrayed Aides to serve the Three Known Gods.
After the pledge, Kaiser's expression grew sheepish. "I should explain my relationship with the Three Known Gods." He paused carefully. "Everything you believe about my betrayal is false. Aides himself ordered me to infiltrate Solarus's circle as his spy."
"What?" Keanu's voice cracked with disbelief.
Arthur felt equally stunned.
"Aides commanded me to betray him publicly," Kaiser continued. "The entire defection was theater—every moment orchestrated."
Keanu stared in shock as the implications hit him.
"That's why I never swore by The Word when pledging to Solarus," Kaiser explained. "They're arrogant enough to think they'll surpass The Word eventually, so they dismissed such technicalities. A simple oath in their name satisfied their egos." His expression sobered. "Without my protection, Solarus would have annihilated the demon race. Their connection to Aides made them targets, but I negotiated their survival."
"So when I revealed my power at Babylon Tower—you had no intention of reporting us?" Keanu asked.
"Actually, I did plan to report you initially," Kaiser admitted with a slight smile. "Maintaining cover required it. But Arthur deliberately met my divine sight and revealed his nature—staring directly at me during surveillance. That made me too curious to simply file a report."
Keanu's expression soured. "You couldn't have trusted me with Aides' strategy from the beginning?"
"I don't know the complete plan myself," Kaiser shrugged. "Aides only said he'd return when ready and told me to wait. Nothing more." He paused, then added dismissively, "Besides, your involvement as God of War might have compromised his strategy. Subtlety isn't your strength."
The insult ignited Keanu's temper. He launched into heated argument with Kaiser, their voices rising as old grievances erupted.
Arthur let them bicker while reverting from his transformation. Wings dissolved, enhanced muscles returned to normal, divine tattoos faded until only ordinary demonic features remained. "Let's return," he said quietly.
Kaiser stopped arguing and snapped his fingers. Reality shifted around them, the golden realm dissolving as they materialized back in the bar's private quarters.