Legend says that every world in the cosmos, great or small, is ruled by a god. Divine authority is inviolable.

Gods vary in strength, and the might of every plane and realm depends entirely on the guardian deity who rules it.

The nameless gods of lesser planes naturally can’t compare to the High Gods of greater planes. And above them, ruling over the High Gods, stand the Supreme Gods at the peak of the three thousand planes.

They are known as God-Kings!

Across the ages, only three beings have been strong enough to earn the title of God-King. Their legends are told in every plane.

The best-known of them is probably the Elemental Goddess, who rules the Seven Luminaries Temple. Astetaya’s elemental arts—and her followers—are found in every plane.

The Timekeeper’s name rings just as loudly across the stars. Time and space are prisoners of the Eternal Dragon.

The last—and most terrifying—of the three is a monster who rose from the lost Void.

War is his breath, and bloodshed follows in his wake. If absolute power and violence had a champion, the Lord of Chaos would be the obvious choice.

The name Destroyer of Worlds is enough to make anyone bow their head in submission.

And yet, even a God-King invincible in all the world has troubles of his own!

Compared to the other two God-Kings, he has far, far too few followers...

Worshipping the strong is only natural for mortals. Nolan does have a large following of fanatics who fight fiercely for him, and even some of them are High Gods.

The trouble is, like attracts like. His followers are either battle-crazed fanatics or bloodthirsty lunatics. How can you have sincere faith without a brain!?

Then there’s the stunning goddess next door at the Seven Luminaries Temple. She has more than enough bootlickers at her feet, not to mention the alluring shrine maidens at every branch temple.

The Seven Luminaries Temple probably brings Astetaya billions in faith every month. Just thinking about it made Nolan drool!

The Supreme Plane. Purgatory’s scorched earth.

This place was bleak and barren, without a trace of daylight. A thick stench of blood filled the air. Smoke blotted out the sky, and rivers of scorching magma surged across the land, snuffing out every trace of life. Not a living presence could be felt.

Nolan’s plane had a completely different vibe from the other gods’ beautiful, dreamlike paradises. So there was a reason no one ever visited the Chaos Temple.

Atop the highest cliff, a lone black-haired boy sat staring into space. He scratched his head, sighed, and said something that would make every god spit blood.

“Forget it. Fighting and killing aren’t for me. I’d be better off changing my look and recruiting some cute poster girls.”

For the sake of that tantalizing faith, the boy decided to set aside his pride as a God-King and completely transform the terrifying image he’d cultivated in the lower realms!

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. It’s as miserable as ever, Nolan.”

An annoyingly lovely voice suddenly came from above.

Even Nolan had to admit it was the most beautiful voice in the world. That didn’t make it any less irritating.

Floating in the air was a peerlessly beautiful woman, a perfect temptress. Her delicate features were breathtaking, and her graceful curves were enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.

Her arrival scattered the blood mist and smoke, bringing a sliver of light to Purgatory.

“So what? What’s it to you?”

Nolan snorted.

That rotten woman showed up every few days just to gloat. Who wouldn’t get sick of that!?

Only a handful of gods could descend here without the owner’s permission. Fewer still had the nerve to provoke the Destroyer of Worlds.

It was obvious that this stunning goddess, with her golden hair and blue eyes, was one of the three God-Kings who could stand as an equal to the Lord of Chaos.

“Heh. You’re as rude as ever.”

Astetaya covered her mouth with a giggle. Seven elemental halos shone behind her, woven into a magnificent rainbow train. A vast, sacred aura radiated from her—the immortal authority granted by her abundant faith.

There was no doubt that every inch of the Goddess of the Seven Luminaries possessed enough allure to take your breath away.

But a certain someone ignored all of it and muttered in frustration,

“What’s so great about you? Before long, I’ll have more followers than you...”

Of course he was jealous. Without the power of faith, ten Astetayas wouldn’t be a match for him. How else would she dare rub it in his face day after day!

Astetaya shook her head and raised a finger to her lips, teasing him. “You say that every time, but your numbers are still at zero. Me, though... I’ve counted so much I’m dizzy. Ohohohoho!”

“...”

٩(//̀Д/́/)۶

That was an insult. A blatant insult!

“How about we make a bet?”

Astetaya narrowed her eyes. A sly glint flashed in her deep blue gaze.

Nolan raised an eyebrow and turned to glare at the despicable woman. Just as he’d expected—she’d taken the bait.

“What do you have in mind?”

“We can’t just keep running our mouths at each other. Let’s each put something on the line and settle it in one round.”

Astetaya snapped her fingers. Elemental power immediately tore open the space of the Chaos Plane, revealing a stretch of starry sky.

A colossal shadow, vast enough to blot out the sky, appeared against the shattered expanse glittering with stars.

Nolan stared in surprise. “You even brought a witness?”

The Stars were the Timekeeper’s eyes. The legally loli dragon, who had lived through countless eras, was watching them. So Astetaya had planned this all along.

“Of course!”

Astetaya’s lips curled into a smile, and an hourglass appeared upright in the starry sky.

She’d been laying the groundwork all this time, just to make someone leap into her trap of his own free will.

“I’ll give you plenty of time. If your followers ever reach even one-tenth of mine during that period, you can do whatever you want with me. I won’t go back on my word. So, Destroyer of Worlds—do you dare?”

Do you dare?

This was too much!

Nolan had never lost a bet in his life. He sprang to his feet, glaring at the Goddess of the Seven Luminaries as his peerless, savage power surged around him. The Chaos Brand spread across his skin like flames, and in an instant, the heavens and earth shook as if the world were coming apart.

“It’s a deal!”

The boy spat out the words, his voice brimming with murderous intent.

A stifled laugh came from the endless starry sky.

A brain is a wonderful thing. Too bad that goofy God-King doesn’t have one~

“Just so we’re clear: no using force to intimidate anyone, no bribing them with benefits, and absolutely no dirty, underhanded tricks. Your followers have to offer their faith of their own free will. You know what I mean, right?”

Nolan scoffed. “Manipulating people is a demon god’s trick. I’ve always relied on virtue to win people over.”

“Good.”

Astetaya licked her tempting red lips. She looked radiant and delighted, but as she slowly laid out her terms, her enchanting face flushed.

“If you lose... I want you to... I want you to...”

“You want me?”

Astetaya took a deep breath and stammered softly, “I want you to give up your faith in Chaos and retire as my divine servant. Stay by my side every day, and never leave me...”

Her words were already as coy and suggestive as could be. Even the witness could hear the confession of love hidden in them.

But if Nolan could understand that, he wouldn’t have been called the Destroyer of Worlds.

“No!”

The boy flatly rejected a bet that would have made any other High God’s heart soar. “There’s no way I’m kissing up to you like those brain-dead fools. Though I’m not going to lose!”

Then what the hell did you ask for!?

Astetaya’s lips moved. She nearly dropped her goddess act and swore at him, but managed to calm herself. Then she ventured, “Well... how about you become my God-Queen?”

Nolan rested his chin on his hand and thought it over. He didn’t know what a God-Queen was, but it sounded like they’d be equals and he wouldn’t have to grovel. So he nodded.

“That works.”

Astetaya clenched her fists and let out a long breath. For the first time in ages, her unshakable heart gave a little flutter.

Nolan flashed an evil grin. “Don’t you want to know what I’ll ask you to do if I win?”

The Goddess of the Seven Luminaries blinked.

“No. That day will never come, so I agree to anything.”

“Fine. You’ll pay for that arrogance.”

“Likewise.”

The two most powerful gods in the Supreme Plane smiled at each other. Then they both raised their right hands and gave a gentle wave.

A scarlet bolt of lightning and a rainbow streak intertwined as they cut across the starry sky.

Under the gaze of The Stars, a wager staking their pride and their entire lives was sealed!

So, when the Lord of Chaos’s proud and savage power proved useless, what could Nolan do?

Astetaya was very curious. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with bullying a lovable fool for the sake of her lifelong happiness.

Meanwhile, wisps of black smoke rose from Nolan’s body, and a strange smile flickered in his eyes.

“Uh, wait. You’re not thinking of...”

Astetaya froze. In an instant, she realized what he might do.

“Remember your bet. I’ll be back!”

With those words, Nolan’s vessel of will dissolved into the Chaos Brand. It became a black shooting star, tore through space, and sped away, vanishing into an unknown distance.

Astetaya gaped, still too stunned to recover.

She’d never imagined Nolan would take the bet so seriously. He’d chosen self-exile, abandoning the immortal shell he’d tempered for countless ages to start from scratch.

It was easy to fall, but returning to the Supreme Plane would be much harder. Even a God-King would need plenty of time.

No one knew what the Divine Court would be like by then. After all, time didn’t flow at the same rate between planes...

“You lunatic! Do you really hate losing to me that much!?”

Astetaya bit her lip, then suddenly smiled and murmured to herself, “I told him not to break the rules, but I never said I couldn’t cheat, did I?”

“You did not.”

The witness’s childish, loli-like voice rang out from the starry sky.

As payback, rainbow light glimmered backward through Astetaya’s eyes. She curled a finger, and a thread of fate quietly shifted, making a tiny alteration to the destination of Nolan’s journey.

“Sigh. Couldn’t you just tell him honestly that you like him?”

The Supreme Goddess’s lips curled into a smile, utterly unrestrained.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

The Timekeeper, who had watched it all, sighed. This little change would make the Lord of Chaos very angry—extremely angry. It might even set off another war between the planes.