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"I'm a kind person; I'm kind to everyone, but if you are unkind to me, then kindness is not what you'll remember me for."
- Al Capone, (Random Facebook Meme)
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<(Atem POV)>
"The hell?" I muttered, frustration starting to bubble in my voice. "It's been almost five minutes since Mephisto died. Why haven't I become the new Lord of Hell yet? I followed the rules of the duel—I beat Mephisto fair and square during the Solstice. So, if Hell's supposed to crown a new ruler, it should be me... Right?"
I stared into the distance, trying to make sense of it, all while deliberately ignoring the glowing system notification hovering in front of me—the one that clearly confirmed I had slain the ruler of this realm.
The dimension-wide tremors that had been shaking Hell since Mephisto's fall were finally beginning to ease, indicating that the realm was slowly stabilizing—its power clearly preparing to pass to a new ruler.
"I don't think this dimension intends to choose you as its new master, Atem," Hela guessed, finally breaking her silence. She had remained a neutral observer until now, but the calm, assured look in her eyes was proof that she had already figured out what was happening. "I think we misunderstood something about the Solstice," Hela said, her voice steady and measured. "As far as I recall, it was only ever stated that Mephisto would be at his weakest during the Solstice—that he couldn't draw upon the full power of the realm during that time. But nowhere was it ever said that defeating him would automatically grant rulership over this dimension."
She folded her arms, a knowing edge to her tone. "No... we, like everyone else who tried to take advantage of the Solstice to kill Mephisto, simply assumed that part. And that cunning red devil didn't bother correcting us—because letting us believe the lie served him just fine."
"...Shit. Now that you say it, you're right." I clicked my tongue as realization hit me like a punch to the gut. "That manipulative bastard played us all." I groaned, slapping my forehead in frustration. "But wait... Hela, isn't there some way I can still take control of this realm by force? I mean, since Mephisto's out of the picture, there isn't exactly anyone strong enough to stop me." I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You can," Hela replied, calm as ever. "But there's no exact ritual to do that. For dimensional lords, taking over a dimension is... instinctual. If you want to claim this realm, you'll have to assert your will over it—completely—and do it before it chooses a new master." She stepped closer, her tone growing more serious. "But remember this: a being can only rule one dimension at a time. If you want to control more, you'll need to absorb them into this one—like Dormammu does when he devours realms. But if you go that route, parts of this dimension—its infernal demonic essence—will bleed into the others. No matter how much you try to shape them according to your imagination, they'll always carry the imprint of Hell... they will be part of Hell."
"I see... then maybe I'll hold off on that," I decided, letting out a slow breath. "As tempting as it is to have my own private realm, I'd prefer one that isn't a flaming pit of torment. It's the same reason I didn't claim Heven or Nornheim directly for myself since I need a powerful and big dimension for myself that can actually add to my power." I muttered the thought aloud, only to suddenly remember that the war for Hell wasn't over just because Mephisto was gone. His throne was still up for grabs.
"There are better options out there for me when it comes to claiming a domain. Maybe someday I'll absorb Hell into my realm..., but not today. For now, I think I'll let someone else take the crown." I smirked, my eyes drifting toward the red-skinned demon princess Natasha was currently facing. "And I've got a pretty good idea who it's going to be."
