Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 256 Keep Up the Good Work, Knight (First Update!)

As the Gates of Hell widened, Salomon and the homunculus leaped out from behind Kasirius. The arcane mage couldn't even stop them; the master and servant, their minds in perfect sync, simultaneously drew their weapons and slashed at Mephisto's true form. Mephisto's true form couldn't leave, because if he did, the hellish monsters he brought would become prey for Kamar-Taj, rendering the portal meaningless—it was a portal opened through the collective blood sacrifice of hundreds of mercenaries, arms dealers' private armies, and Eastern European cult groups. Given Mephisto's calculating nature, he would never waste such a hard-won sacrifice.

Salomon was right; this was a targeted sacrifice, meaning Mephisto didn't have to share these souls with the other lords of Hell. Although the number of souls was smaller—fewer than the number of American soldiers killed in the Middle East—Mephisto hadn't experienced the joy of having it all to himself in a long time. He even wanted to give a speech on it, titled "The Exorbitant Profits and Pleasure of Monopolistic Channels," but Salomon didn't give him the chance—once in another setting, he wouldn't mind listening to Mephisto lecture, but not now; he was in a hurry.

However, Mephisto is far more intelligent than everyone here, especially in intrigue and magical arts. Mephisto could literally beat all the sorcerers here with one hand without even breaking a sweat. Unless the witch summons those hot-headed female demons again to force back the Demon King and then let Kamar-Taj slowly dismantle and destroy this gate to hell, no one here will escape unscathed. After all, magic is not something to be trifled with; it's not like an eleven-year-old middle school student randomly waving a stick and setting off sparks. A high-level spell like a portal can be extremely dangerous if it goes wrong, both for the caster and the target.

Salomon had foreseen this situation, so his and the homunculi's sword strikes were merely feints. He wanted to take advantage of Mephisto's preoccupation with expanding the Gates of Hell and his inability to deal with them, aiming to achieve victory in the simplest and most brutal way. The attack he intended to unleash was neither melee nor magic, but a trick he had learned at the age of twelve, a trick that remained relevant even now.

"In the name of Vishanti." He muttered to himself as he lunged at Kasirius's shoulder. The homunculus skillfully concealed the subtle movement in his fingers (making a three-pointed gesture, symbolizing the Triune Vishanti. Kasirius, after catching a glimpse, almost guessed what Salomon was about to do).

"In the name of Oshutu, the God of White Magic, I command you to leave this world!" Salomon almost shouted as he uttered the last few words—this was the part he hated most. It wasn't magic at all; it was just chaotic, gushing magical energy. He would be happier even if he were to conjure up a huge, utterly unskilled magic missile than to be recklessly scattering magical energy here.

The android nimbly dodged the attack from behind, but its black, lace-trimmed bodycon dress was inevitably burned by the rapidly expanding, high-temperature magic, the delicate lace slightly charred and curled. At the same time, the witches' bullets, fired later, arrived ahead of Salomon and the android, hitting their targets even before the magic could strike.

It all happened in an instant; in the time it took to say just a few words, the witch had already raised her gun and fired. Although they didn't know what Salomon was going to do, they still supported their roommate's idea with their actions, and the barrage of messages they unconsciously created did indeed attract Mephisto's attention.

In that instant, scalding positive energy surged forth from Salomon's palm like a river bursting its banks. Before anyone could even blink, Mephisto was engulfed by a wave of positive energy, without uttering a sound. The immense and scorching positive energy erupted from Salomon's palm, instantly creating a colossal, platinum-gold wave that blotted out the sky and crashed down upon the Gates of Hell. Everything beneath the wave was scorched, and Salomon's palm, the source of the wave, was also charred black.

This was the second time he had experienced being burned by Vishanti's magic; the last time, he was severely carbonized, almost to the point of death. He threw down the longsword he was holding in his other hand and instead grabbed his right hand, which was adorned with a ring, forcing himself to maintain communication with Vishanti and channeling the massive amount of magic from the white mage god, Oshtu.

"Enough!" Kasirius quickly grasped Salomon's hand, which was already turning slightly charred, on the third breath, severing the connection with Vishanti. Kasirius glanced at the three gem rings, which, despite being unevenly scorched, still shone brilliantly. He understood why Salomon could act as a conduit to Vishanti, doing what other sorcerers couldn't—because the magic hadn't passed through Salomon's body at all, but flowed directly from the rings. The Sorcerer Supreme hadn't allowed Salomon's body to receive Vishanti's magic. No wonder only the Lesser King and Salomon couldn't accept the plain cabbage at headquarters in Kamar-Taj; the former was simply gluttonous, while the latter lacked external magic to support his bodily functions, and their appetites were the greatest.

Although Kasirius had no intention of revealing the truth, he still recalled the words the Sorcerer Supreme had spoken before Salomon's birth. He only had a slight understanding of the Sorcerer Supreme's thoughts so far, but they were not clear enough. As it seemed, the Sorcerer Supreme had been using something extremely dangerous as Salomon's toy, such as the powerful Shroud of Resurrection, as a swaddling cloth to be constantly washed in the washing machine.

Perhaps one day, Salomon's own magic will be enough to support his physiological activities, just like Bayonetta, who relied on magic to fake her death and sleep for five hundred years. But he can't do that now; he's still too young.

In every respect, he's still too young. Kasirius thought: just as young and reckless as those young temple deacons who came with me. Damn it, I never thought I'd say something like that; it's always Mordo who says that about me.

Mephisto echoed Kasirius's sentiment. "Youth means impulsiveness, recklessness, and fearlessness. Although you usually act with composure, you still can't shake off that childishness." As the tide of positive energy receded, the Gates of Hell remained unmoved, seemingly unaffected. Mephisto leaned against one of the Gates' pillars with a look of disgust, repeatedly slapping his small cloak with his deep red hand, which had long, sharp black fingernails, looking as if he were about to vomit.

Even the most cruel and disgusting scenes are mere entertainment for the devil, but positive energy is the devil's nemesis. To Him, all the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, except for the Sorcerer Supreme, are like dirty children squatting in the mud playing with mud and excrement. The overwhelming waves of positive energy that press Him down are no different from dumping a full cesspool on the head of a normal human being.

Seeing Salomon's expression turn anxious, Cassirios placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry," Cassirios said gently, uttering words he usually hated most. "The Venerable One has already made preparations; we just need to let things take their course."

"What preparations?"

"I don't know either. My math and physics grades weren't good," Kasirius said. "It seems to be related to the negative energy level of some kind of particle. His Holiness mentioned it, but I didn't understand. Besides, it wasn't Kamar-Taj that carried out this task; it was someone else."

"Who?" Salomon was somewhat surprised. His slightly charred hand was currently being held by the witch; otherwise, he would have definitely slapped his forehead. How could the Venerable One entrust such an important task to someone else? Unless…

Cassirius replied, "It's the Merlin school."

"Then I'm ready." Salomon glanced at the monster about to burst out of the gates of hell. "I'll have to work even harder too."

Sorry for the late update, I'm super sleepy right now.

Also, why does no one ever notice when I make Gundam references? Is it because I'm getting old?

(End of this chapter)