American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Just as Jason was reflecting on why he would betray a little girl in exchange for the support of a powerful wizard, Rune was scolding Clark on the other side.

"Where did you put the puppet I gave you?" Rune asked in a tone of exasperation. "Why aren't you using it?"

Although Clark was nominally Rune's brother, he could only look down at his toes and whisper, "I didn't expect his second punch to knock me down. I thought it would be about the same force as the first one..."

In reality, although Rune is the younger brother, Clark is more like the younger brother than the other. First, Rune controls the finances, and second, it's Rune who protects Clark at school. Clark is too kind and is often bullied by the school bullies, and Rune can't stand it. Once, he grabbed a bully and dragged him into the bathroom, then used toilet water to wash his face. After several such incidents, Clark finally escaped the bullying. Even academically, Rune is more outstanding; he's always the "other kid" that Jonathan and Martha talk about.

Rune sighed. What else could he say? He could only grab Clark's ear and say earnestly, "Clark, you should have realized by now that your magic resistance isn't strong. In the future, when you encounter magic-based beings, just pull out your puppet and run."

"Yes, yes, I understand, brother." Clark nodded in agreement like a chick pecking at rice, his face full of a fawning smile.

Rune then released his grip on Clark's ear and explained the situation to him: "That middle-aged man over there is considered a good person on the magic side. His name is Jason Brad. He has some connection with Zatanna's father and there's been a misunderstanding with us, but it's not a big problem. You can contact him if you have any related questions in the future."

Clark said "Oh," and then asked, "So, how do I find him if a magical event occurs?"

"Of course, I'll use your super hearing, you idiot!" Rune thought to himself, but he fell silent, because Clark's hearing wasn't at its peak yet. At its peak, Clark could hear gunfire from a Middle Eastern country in Metropolis, and could basically monitor the sounds of the entire Earth. Even if Jason sometimes went to places like the Forgotten Bar, which weren't part of Earth's plane, he was definitely on Earth most of the time, so it wouldn't be difficult for Clark to find him.

"You'll know how to find him when you grow up." Helpless, Rune finally understood how his teacher felt when he asked her how to have a baby in elementary school.

Clark nodded. Although it seemed like a perfunctory answer, Rune had never been wrong, so he believed him.

Turning his head, Rune called out to the two people on the other side, "Want to go back and get some ice cream? It's on me. We might even catch the circus performance."

"Okay," Zatanna agreed quickly, and Jason nodded in agreement. Rune waved his hand, and the grass that had been burned clean grew back, the scattered bloodstains turning to black ash and disappearing. He didn't want to end up like the X-Men, constantly worrying about Omega-level mutant DNA leaks, or that an Omega-level mutant might become a clone, or that someone might have a child using an Omega-level mutant's DNA.

There are advantages to living in this country, like a large ice cream for $3, served in a clear plastic cup 30 centimeters tall and 8-9 centimeters in diameter. Just looking at it makes you feel like you're bursting with calories, but there's just as much happiness. Watching the four of them sitting in chairs eating ice cream, it's impossible to imagine that they had a fight before.

"Could you tell me about the guy we're going to be dealing with next?" Rune asked, licking his ice cream.

Jason nodded, and seeing his legs swinging back and forth, he knew that Jason was actually in a pretty good mood.

"Yes, only God knows that guy's original name. We all call him the First Fallen. He was once a Satan, or rather, a part of Satan. He was the first being God created." Jason didn't care about the expressions of the passersby. He was certain that these non-magical figures wouldn't believe him, and if any mages did hear him, they would choose to stay away from them as much as possible to avoid harming innocents. "He was also once a companion of God and the embodiment of his conscience..."

"Like Lucifer?" Clark, who had read the Bible, asked curiously.

"Yes, just like that fallen angel." Jason licked his ice cream before continuing, "Forgive me, this is my first time trying this..."

The handsome middle-aged man gestured with one hand, trying to describe the magical food in his hand with a word that wasn't Old English, but in the end he gave up: "This food is too amazing, please forgive my involuntary expression."

Then he continued recounting the origins of the First Fallen. Modern wizards don't know the reasons for their fall, but it's certain they believed God was mad, and thus were banished from Heaven to Hell, becoming the first Fallen. To prevent war, he shared his power with the second and third Fallen, forming the Trinity. Until the arrival of the fourth banished being, Lucifer, the most powerful angel beside God, Lucifer reclaimed Satan's position and, together with two other demons, ruled Hell—a system that continues to this day.

"Itrigan claims to have a close relationship with Lucifer, and he came to see Zatanna because Lucifer said she was being targeted by the Trinity." Jason revealed all the information he knew without reservation, while Clark seemed thoughtful.

"So, if we just stall until Lucifer arrives, those three Fallen Ones will retreat on their own?"

“Yes.” Jason nodded, but he emphasized, “This isn’t an easy job, especially for Clark…”

Even Rune nodded: "Hmm, this isn't a good opportunity for you to step in, Clark. Your magic resistance is too low. You need to stay with Martha and Jonathan so you can get them out of there quickly if they're threatened."

"Hey!" Clark said, looking displeased. "Why are you excluding me again? There's something I can do too!"

At this point, Jason instead advised, "It's not that we want to exclude you, but because you haven't realized that your parents, being ordinary people, are also a weakness. While First Fallen Ones aren't omniscient or omnipotent, finding your parents is still easy for them. If we consider the worst-case scenario..."

Jason said gravely, "He might use the souls of your parents and relatives to force them to hand you over. Perhaps the fallen were once the embodiment of God's conscience, but once in Hell, that so-called conscience will be devoured by endless torment. There, you will be forced to abandon all goodness, becoming more venomous than a viper..."

His face was filled with confusion and pain, clearly recalling the torment of hell.