Vlad, the White Death, Overlord, Merlin, and Ankil stood within the largest castle of the Eighth Layer of Hell—the central stronghold where the forces of the Six Sun Alliance had established their garrison.

A somber atmosphere filled the chamber.

The Sovereigns remained silent for a time, each of them lost in thought as they tried to determine their next move. The situation had grown increasingly complicated. With Heaven and its Archangels occupying the Ninth Layer, a massive blockade now stood in the way of their plans.

They could not secure their ultimate stronghold.

And without that, everything else became uncertain.

Neither Vlad nor the White Death could afford to leave for the Primordial Divine Realm while the Ninth Layer remained under Heaven’s control. Doing so would be like abandoning a house with a wolf inside—sooner or later, everything within would be torn apart.

Yet, they had given their word to the Primordial God of Bloodshed and Battle, so backing down was not an answer either.

They had to take control of the Ninth Layer no matter the price.

But understanding the problem did not mean they had a solution.

"The Archangels are concentrated in the Ninth Layer," Merlin finally said, his voice sharp, his eyes cold. "That means Heaven itself is weakened. We could strike their realm directly—force them to retreat and defend their home."

There was a ruthless edge to his words.

The Obsidian Dragon King was not one to slaughter the weak or prey on civilians without reason. But Heaven’s actions had placed his people in danger. If it came down to it, he would not hesitate to wipe out every angel if that was what it took to protect his own.

The Six Sun Alliance had already performed a genocide before, so another would not be a problem.

The other Sovereigns nodded slowly.

It was a logical plan.

But then Overlord spoke.

"That will not work."

All eyes turned toward him.

The True Depravita of Pride remained calm, his expression unreadable as he began to explain.

"First, in order to attack Heaven, we would need to split our forces. Our armies are already stretched thin due to our campaigns in Hell and Abyss. At least one Paragon would need to lead that assault."

His tone grew heavier.

"And if we weaken our presence in Hell too much, Beelzebub, Zamael, and Rafael will push upward through the layers and strike our settlements."

The Sovereigns frowned as they considered his words.

He was right.

Heaven still had enough strength to attack and defend simultaneously. Dividing their forces would only expose them to greater danger.

"If we had time," Overlord continued, "we could devise a precise strategy—a lightning strike capable of catching the Archangels off guard. But time is something we do not have."

His gaze hardened.

"There are less than seven months before we must depart for the Primordial Divine Realm."

That reminder weighed heavily on everyone present.

The room grew even tenser.

After a moment, they all nodded.

Splitting their forces was not an option.

"Then we focus everything we have in Hell," the White Death said at last, his voice calm but heavy. "We launch a full campaign into the Ninth Layer."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"If we can destroy enough of the Devil hordes, we will weaken the Divine Kingdoms. That will make it easier for our Lords to kill the Gods. Once they are gone, we can concentrate all our strength against the Paragons."

The plan was sound.

But it carried a cost.

Everyone in the room understood it.

Such an approach would result in massive casualties among their Legendary warriors.

"We can deploy the Thiamatos Units as the front line," Ankil added.

That suggestion shifted the tone slightly.

The Thiamatos Units were soulless constructs—living weapons without consciousness. Their destruction carried no emotional burden, making them ideal for absorbing the brunt of the enemy’s attacks.

Vlad remained silent for a moment, analyzing the proposal.

Casualties were inevitable in war.

That was a truth every warrior in the Six Sun Alliance understood.

Still, the Sovereigns had always done everything in their power to minimize losses. But there were moments when sacrifice became unavoidable.

This might be one of them.

Vlad turned his gaze toward Overlord.

The latter evaluated the plan purely from an objective standpoint. After a few seconds, he nodded.

"It is feasible," Overlord said. "We will need to conduct an initial campaign to confirm its effectiveness."

His eyes glowed faintly as calculations ran through his mind.

"In two weeks, a new batch of Legendary Thiamatos Units will arrive in Hell. We will begin the campaign in three weeks."

The Sovereigns nodded in agreement.

But the meeting did not end there.

They continued to discuss and analyze alternative strategies—exploring every possible path to victory against the Archangels and the Devil Paragons. Hours passed as ideas were proposed, tested, and discarded.

In the end, one conclusion stood above the rest.

Destroy the fiendish divine armies.

Weaken the Gods.

Then strike the Paragons.

With that, the gathering finally dispersed.

In the days that followed, every Sovereign and Lord focused entirely on strengthening themselves. They absorbed the Origin Power of the Eighth Layer without restraint, pushing their bodies and souls to their limits.

They did not care about the damage inflicted upon the land.

There was no time for such concerns.

Only power mattered now.

More and more Legends began arriving in the Eighth Layer.

Within a short time, their numbers surpassed tens of thousands—a staggering figure. Even ancient Supreme Worlds, such as the now-barren Chaovoratities Plane, had never reached such heights at their peak.

This was the result of Overlord’s unparalleled logistical mastery.

The open exchange of resources between the six civilizations of the Six Sun Alliance.

And the relentless carnage that had unfolded across Hell and Abyss.

It was a force capable of crushing entire worlds within hours.

And now—

That force was preparing to march into the deepest layer of Hell.

To face an army of divine-enhanced Devils.