Mephisto's slender figure slowly emerged from the flames.
"I am not a liar. In the vast dimensions of the Universe, you may question my benevolence, but you absolutely cannot question my credibility as a devil. I am the most trustworthy businessman in Hell."
Ebony Maw snorted coldly, his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes filled with hostility.
"Since you are so trustworthy, where is the third warrior you promised? Do you intend to enter the fray yourself? If so, I will thank you and retract my previous words."
Mephisto chuckled softly.
"I have brought the person." He looked at Thanos and said, "But he is not my man. I am merely an introducer; as for whether he is willing to fight for you, you must negotiate the terms with him yourself."
Upon hearing this, Ebony Maw was instantly consumed by rage.
"Negotiate terms? That is not what you said before! You promised to solve the manpower issue! And now you tell the great Thanos that we need to negotiate terms with a mercenary?"
"A devil is a devil; your contracts always hide disgusting word games."
Mephisto curled his lip, spread his hands, and said unhurriedly.
"Watch your tongue, Ebony Maw. I only promised to provide three warriors; I did not say these warriors were free. Furthermore, you had better understand the current situation."
"The only two victories you currently have were both secured by the people I provided."
He added with undisguised mockery.
"On the contrary, your own Black Order commanders—one lost to Earth's shield-bearer, and another lost to a little crawler who only knows how to spin webs. If it were not for me, you would be facing the embarrassing situation of being zero to four right now."
"Put away your arrogance, Ebony Maw. Here, you have no right to order me around."
Ebony Maw was instantly silenced.
Mephisto's words struck him like a loud slap to the face, leaving him unable to refute this damned fact.
He could only shut his mouth in resentment, turn his head to look at Thanos on the throne, and await his Master's judgment.
Thanos slowly stood up.
Carrying the oppressive aura unique to a cosmic overlord, he walked down the steps, his gaze locked onto Mephisto.
He was not angry.
For a man determined to wipe out half the life in the Universe, the argument before him was meaningless.
He only cared about the results.
Thanos stopped in front of Mephisto, looked down at him, and said, "Bring him out; I would very much like to see what kind of goods you have recommended."
"Very good, this is more like how someone doing big things should act."
Mephisto put that elegant smile back on his face.
"Allow me to introduce him; this is a New God who was recently born in the depths of the Universe. I am not clear on his specific origins, but I can confirm one thing."
Mephisto stared at Thanos and paused deliberately.
"He is a tyrant who is absolutely no less than you."
"His name is... Dago."
As Mephisto's voice trailed off.
Boom!
Accompanied by a sonic boom, space twisted like liquid, blue and white electrical arcs intertwined with dark turbulence, forcibly tearing open a violent, three-dimensional vortex channel.
This was the unique sight of a Boom Tube opening.
A tall, burly figure stepped out from the Boom Tube.
With every step he took, the deck of the Sanctuary II trembled slightly.
Darkseid, now called Dago.
He possessed a terrifying physique, even standing half a head taller than Thanos before him.
And what was most chilling were his eyes, which burned with a scarlet light.
There were no superfluous movements, nor did he say a word.
Simply by standing there, his suffocating, tyrannical aura swept across the entire space like a physical force.
Ebony Maw, who had always held himself in high regard, could not help but feel an urge to kneel and submit the moment he felt this aura.
He had to use telekinesis to barely maintain his elegant standing posture.
Thanos's gaze finally changed.
He could feel that the man named Dago before him contained a power of an overlord within him that was not inferior to his own.
That was an aura only possessed by a conqueror who had truly ruled over the stars and slaughtered all things.
But how could Thanos, who possessed two Infinity Stones, lose to the other in terms of aura?
Two cosmic-level overlords, at this moment, locked eyes.
An invisible aura collided fiercely in the air.
There was no violent sound, nor any wanton release of energy, but that invisible mental pressure made the surrounding space seem to ripple slightly.
After a long while.
Thanos smiled.
It was a smile full of confidence and a desire for control.
"Very good." Thanos spoke, "You are qualified to stand on my ship and state your terms."
Dago stood with his hands behind his back, lifted his chin slightly, and said expressionlessly.
"I want your army."
Dago looked straight into Thanos's eyes without flinching.
"The entire Black Order."
As soon as these words were spoken, Ebony Maw was instantly triggered.
"Absurd! It is simply whimsical!" Ebony Maw growled, "Who do you think you are? You haven't even entered the fray yet, and you dare to open your mouth and demand the life's work of the great Thanos?!"
"Father, please allow me to teach this arrogant..."
Thanos raised his left hand and waved it gently.
"Stand down, Ebony Maw."
"But Father, he..."
"I said, stand down." Thanos's tone deepened by a notch.
Ebony Maw gritted his teeth unwillingly, but eventually shut his mouth.
Thanos's gaze tightened as he re-examined the Dago before him.
"You want the Black Order?" Thanos asked calmly.
"Yes." Dago's voice was without waves, "This is my condition."
"Furthermore, I need you to announce to the entire Black Order right now that I am your successor. After the competition ends, everyone will revere me as their Master."
Ebony Maw laughed in extreme anger: "Arrogant! The great Thanos would never agree to such..."
"I agree."
Thanos's calm sentence directly choked Ebony Maw so hard he nearly fainted.
"Father?!" Ebony Maw looked at Thanos in disbelief.
Thanos raised his hand again, signaling Ebony Maw to shut up.
In Thanos's heart, the weight of matters was completely different from Ebony Maw's perspective.
Although the Black Order was a top-tier force that spanned the Universe and was his blade for conquering all directions.
These were all just tools to achieve cosmic balance.
And he only needed to collect the Infinity Stones and snap his fingers, and the Universe would undergo correction.
His great goal would also be achieved.
By then, all armies, all warships, and even territory, would become meaningless.
He did not need power; he only needed to fulfill his destiny.
"The Black Order can be yours," Thanos said slowly, "but the terms are bidirectional."
"If you lose, what then?"
"Lose?"
Dago's rock-like face pulled into a cold, arrogant smile.
"If I lose, my life shall belong to you to command."
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