GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

However, no one could identify the demon god who spread this message. It caused many of them to start speculating about the reason why.

"Could it be a previously unknown demon god who didn't attend the meeting, or is it a newly ascended demon god?"

They don't know. No one knows. But no one wanted it to be the second option. They are demons, so it is normal for them not to want success and victory for their peers. No demon would be happy that a demon king managed to become a demon god. Instead, they would all be jealous.

But on a practical level, no one in their right mind wants the appearance of a new predator. Especially not demons. Nine of them is already too much.

So the demon lords and demon kings hoped that the message came from an old demon god who liked seclusion and hated public appearances. A demon god of hate could be like that, and SLOTH is like that too.

Since no one knew what the answer could be, they were curious to find out. However, they were not curious enough to court death. No one was foolish enough to step out to find out which of the options was correct. To raise one's head in this dangerous situation is to ask for it to be smashed to pieces.

So the demon lords and demon kings were content with wallowing in ignorance in their planes. But then another Will entered their plane. This Will was also accompanied by a message.

This message was full of anger. It said, "You should all come to the first level of the abyss and watch me beat this ignorant fool. You better come, or I will come to visit you after the fight."

It is clear to them that this message belongs to PRIDE. It is also clear to them that PRIDE is threatening them. They have heard something they shouldn't hear, so they must bear witness to the efforts of the demon god of pride to correct the slander.

Either they do that or PRIDE will come to meet them to make sure the slander goes with them to their grave. The fact that the Will made them full of pride and self-confidence was not helpful in convincing them to go to the first abyssal plane. It made them want to disregard the ultimatum.

The demon lords and demon kings didn't want to go when there was just one demon god. They don't want to go even more now that two demon gods have shown up.

They have a lot of reasons not to go, other than the danger of being in the presence of demon gods. It was dangerous to hear the slander in the first place, but it will become more dangerous for them to witness the slander become a fact.

Anything is possible. PRIDE might lose the fight, and its efforts to clear its honor might do the opposite of its wishes. What will happen to them then?

They asked themselves, "Then again, what will happen to us if we don't go and PRIDE wins?"

This is the fate of the weak. They don't have a choice in the matter, and death awaits them in both choices. They don't need to do anything to offend anyone. Simply existing and being weak is a sin in and of itself, punishable by death.

So they lamented their fate again as they left their plane to witness what they assumed would be a fight. They assumed correctly. A fight was about to ensue.

Aeternus chuckled to himself. "Like taking candy from a fledgling."

He didn't ask for a fight, but he is going to get one. All he did was "slander" PRIDE, and it came running to give him a bite. Things might have been different had he challenged PRIDE to a fight. PRIDE might have disdained fighting a new demon god who is obviously trying to use it to gain some prestige.

But PRIDE would never take an insult lying down. Especially when it is an insult that came out of nowhere without any warning. This fight has now become an opportunity for PRIDE to maintain its prestige. It is all because PRIDE is the one taking the initiative to ask for a fight, not the other way around.

Aeternus didn't have to wait for his prey to come to him. PRIDE came barreling towards him a few seconds after he spread his slanderous message to everyone who would hear it.

Aeternus thought to himself with slight regret, "If I knew it was in the abyss, I would have gone to fight it directly instead of creating a fuss."

Aeternus didn't know where PRIDE was. That's why he sent that message. In fact, he doesn't know where any demon god is, and he couldn't track them. They could have been anywhere in the abyss, but he knew that if he sent a message to every demon lord and demon king, it would find a way to the demon gods.

If he had known that PRIDE was in the abyss, he would have gone to fight him directly because he didn't want to announce to the abyss his new power and draw attention to himself. Unfortunately, he didn't know. Now every demon lord and demon king will witness his fight with PRIDE. That means every demon god will eventually find out about this fight, which might make them more cautious.

Helios, who was watching and waiting for the fight with interest, said to him, "This is what you get for using the cheap option."

Aeternus agreed. "I guess I had it coming."

He could have used an enticing object like the Authority of the Celestial Supreme as bait. It might have led to a silent and discrete battle, but that would have been expensive. He decided to try the cheap option of slander first. If it didn't work, then he would use the bait.

To ensure that it would work, he chose to slander PRIDE because he is the most stupid demon god.