Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 254 Multiple Tricks (First Update!)

Karigan wasn't human; no one would believe the creature before Salomon was human. He hadn't risen from the dead. The wound inflicted by the android remained on Karigan's body, some sticky substance binding the two halves together. Every time Karigan moved, the wound would tear open slightly, only to be resealed by the substance. He was still a dead man, pale-faced, reeking of decay. Clearly, he had been endowed with some supernatural power by his master.

As he emerged from the dark forest, the tall coniferous trees beside him slowly decayed, as if they had instantly lost their life force. In the firelight from the burning wings, Salomon saw it all clearly. This was a trap, he thought. This was Mephisto's trap, including Lilith's appearance and the location of the crashed airbus. The devil's spell had foretold Salomon and the boy's location. Perhaps the old devil had already guessed the witch's appearance, and thus used Salomon as bait to lure Lilith, using her power to stop the witch—and Mephisto had indeed succeeded. Lilith's appearance left Bayonetta and Joan of Arc almost completely occupied. Summoning Lady Butterfly and Lady Styx required the witches to expend enormous amounts of magic; they didn't have the extra power to help Salomon thwart Mephisto's scheme.

"You should hand that boy over to me, kid." Karigan ignored the sorcerer's sharp gaze. His voice was hollow and monotonous, laced with a phlegm-like quality, as if some kind of viscous substance lingered in his throat. With each word he uttered, a small bubble of foul-smelling venom would rise from his wounds. "If I could, I'd also like the girl beside you. I remember she killed me, didn't she?"

Salomon loathed that arrogant tone, and his target wasn't Karigan, but his master. Therefore, the sorcerer gave the undead no further glance or reply. He stopped the homunculus, drew his wand from his waist, and pointed it at Karigan. With a roar, flames erupted, swallowing the smug Karigan whole. The impact shattered the decaying wood, and damp wood chips ignited in the air, scattering into tiny sparks. Thick smoke rose through the jungle. The wounds on the rotting body were the first to ignite; a stream of air surged from the wounds and burst into flame. The wrinkled, pale skin glowed brightly, as if soaked in grease. Karigan burned from the inside out into a twisted, humanoid torch. Though he felt no pain, the sorcerer gave him no time. He used his wand again, adding a dark red light to the dark forest.

"That's not enough, Mephisto." Salomon's voice was clear even amidst the piercing sirens of the airbus. He spoke to the empty, dark forest, "One undead creature isn't enough for you to take the boy."

As if hearing Salomon's words, rustling footsteps came from all directions. The homunculus informed her master of the situation in the shadows of the jungle, and Salomon nodded, sheathing his wand. Meanwhile, the two demons in the sky continued their battle, from the prime material plane to the shallow ethereal plane (Purgatory), separated from reality by a thin membrane; their struggle showed no sign of stopping. Perhaps it was the turbulent magical energy emanating from Lilith's spell, or perhaps it was the supersonic fist of Lady Butterfly that stirred up the storm clouds, causing them to collide repeatedly. After several muffled claps of thunder, a torrential downpour mercilessly descended from the sky.

What was the Sorcerer Supreme's plan? Salomon knew nothing, but he trusted the Venerable One, a trust that allowed him to stand fearlessly on the aircraft deck, watching the approaching enemy. The heavy rain extinguished the engine flames, and the acrid smell of ozone and burning electronic components, along with scalding white smoke, filled Salomon's nostrils. Rain dripped from his hair, seeped into his collar, and slid down his back, the icy rain slowly stripping him of his warmth.

Immediately afterwards, Nick Fury witnessed a breathtaking magical performance.

A wall of fire enveloped the forest clearing where the airbus was situated, isolating it from the outside enemies. Rainwater evaporated into white steam. This steam didn't dissipate but condensed and spread outwards with Salomon's gesture. The scalding steam weaved through the dense forest. The spell wasn't over; the steam near the airbus grew thicker and thicker. A bolt of lightning struck the surging steam precisely from the arcane mage's fingertips, and then a series of explosions occurred—Salomon ionized the steam and detonated it with the wall of fire, instantly annihilating all nearby enemies. The hot air expanded outwards and then rapidly contracted, blowing the remaining white steam towards the airbus, completely obscuring Salomon and the aircraft's location.

Then, without interference, the remaining flames spread and coalesced into a human shape. An elderly man with white hair, dressed in a suit and leaning on a cane, emerged from the flames. "Salomon," the old man's voice sizzled as the rain extinguished the flames, and he said affectionately, "You should know what I'm thinking. I only want the child. That won't cost you anything, will it?"

The sorcerer emerged from the mist, his footsteps treading the muddy ground, the homunculus following closely behind. "You are an avatar, my dear Mephisto. You are not qualified to decide the thoughts of the real Mephisto," he said. "And I am not unaware of your intentions. If you think I would hand that boy over to you, you are being foolish."

"It's not just Belial who wants your soul; both devils and demons see your value. You've seen it yourself, even the demon Lilith is coveting you." The demon pointed to the flash of light in the sky. "Although I am merely an avatar, once I gain power, I can help you fight against the true Mephisto in Hell. At that time, the authority of Hell will belong to me, I will be the real Mephisto, and I can make a pact with you. I only want that boy, and you can complete the mission to fight against Hell. It's a deal that benefits neither of us."

Salomon's eyes flickered. This avatar seemed unaware of the pact between the demon's true form and the Sorcerer Supreme. It appeared this avatar was behind Lilith's intervention. To avoid the influence of the true form, the avatar had deliberately avoided the demon's influence; he must have contacted Lilith through the Southern Cross Order, which explained the arcane sorcerer's encounter with the cult priestess. However, Salomon didn't believe a word of what this demon avatar said about seizing power over Hell to fight against Hell. Such a vision was too alluring; words from a demon's mouth were like poisoned honey—only a fool would be so engrossed in the sweetness that he forgot the danger.

The avatar wasn't entirely lying. Both the demons and devils wanted his soul, and since the avatar had allied with the demons, it would be even easier for Mephisto's true body to unite with the lords of Hell. Moreover, Mephisto's true body would never place its hopes for resolving the situation on the arcane sorcerer; uniting with other Hell lords to gain greater benefits was practically instinctive for him.

However, Salomon has yet to witness the appearance of the forces of Hell, meaning that Mephisto's true form has not yet made a move. This thought heightened Salomon's vigilance; demons are cunning, and perhaps Mephisto's true form has already launched its plan, but Salomon simply hasn't noticed it yet.

The battle in the sky gradually subsided, eventually falling silent. Lady Butterfly possessed a truly demonic nature; her fanatical thirst for battle even led Lilith to believe that continuing the fight with Lady Butterfly in the Prime Material Plane was pointless, as they were powerless there. Only by returning to the lower planes could Lilith truly contend with Lady Butterfly. Taking advantage of the distance between them, Lilith returned to her own plane, and Lady Butterfly relentlessly pursued her—neither side was without support. Lilith had spawned numerous monsters of various kinds, and no one knew who she had conceived them from. Lady Butterfly, on the other hand, had the assistance of several female demons, and Lady Styx would also join the battle with the souls of deceased witches. A deep abyss war between different planes was about to begin.

A fanatical demon doesn't care about strategy or calculating gains and losses; a thrilling fight is far more interesting than any form of entertainment.

This was a turmoil in the lower planes caused by Salomon, though he was unaware of it. In his view, the battle between Lilith and Lady Butterfly was over, Lilith had left the Prime Material Plane, and the witch could now help him resolve things here. So he raised an eyebrow at Mephisto's avatar, indicating that the devil's scheme had failed.

However, the devil incarnate merely tilted his head and smiled, seemingly mocking the young man's carelessness.

"You should see things more clearly, Salomon," he said. "This body may be powerless, but I have far more servants than you imagine, and I will always be the winner."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)