Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 258 Salomon's Great Crisis! (First Update)

Just as Odin, the Allfather, was about to pass away, the Sorcerer Supreme needed to establish prestige for Kamar-Taj by choosing a target from among his many enemies to make an example of. As fate would have it, Mephisto himself stumbled upon the scene with his own schemes. The orders delivered by Balthazar, through the Sorcerer Supreme, signified that the war between Hell and Kamar-Taj was no longer the minor skirmishes between planes of the past, but an expanded, potentially years-long, bloody conflict.

The Holy Lance and the Holy Sword are different. Leaving aside the difference in power between the two without their sheaths, the Holy Lance, as a conceptual weapon anchored to the Material Plane on the Dirac Sea, has an effect on outer dimensions that the Holy Sword cannot match. The Holy Sword deals with threats to the Prime Material Plane, while the Holy Lance deals with threats to outer dimensions. The Sorcerer Supreme has already entrusted his most powerful weapon to Salomon, which means this conflict will inevitably end with one side conceding defeat.

Mephisto thought more deeply; he believed the Sorcerer Supreme was helping Salomon seize the throne of Satan. While he also desired Salomon to sit on the seventh throne, it had to be under his control; otherwise, he would have another competitor. He disliked anything outside of his plans, especially the possibility of losing his title as Demon Lord.

The old demon's face was grim. He stood there pondering for a moment, then turned and walked towards the wailing gate that still reeked of blood and sulfur, towards the crimson earth of hell littered with demon corpses, paying no heed to the sorcerers behind him. Now was not the time for conflict. Since the two Sorcerers Supreme dared to openly place their school's successors before him, it meant that Merlin and the Ancient One were prepared. Although he had lost a round in his previous scheme, it didn't mean he would be foolish enough to jump into such an obvious trap.

He now needs to return to his territory as quickly as possible to deal with the destruction caused by the Sorcerer Supreme in his lands. He also needs to prepare and communicate with the other hell lords to deal with the upcoming offensive from Kamar-Taj.

After Mephisto disappeared, Balthazar looked around and slowly relaxed. In fact, neither Merlin nor the Sorcerer Supreme had prepared any other means for them to deal with Mephisto. Even if Salomon were in full power and picked up the Holy Lance, he would need time to tame it, rather than just picking it up and using it.

Kasirius inquired about the situation from the old deacons who had emerged from Hell. He was somewhat worried about the Sorcerer Supreme's condition; after all, Hell was no easy place to traverse, and if the Sorcerer Supreme had been injured, Kamar-Taj's power would be greatly diminished. Faced with his concerns, the old deacons merely gave a dismissive snort. This particular old deacon came from a family of sorcerers in Kamar-Taj, whose elders had witnessed the Sorcerer Supreme's devastation. Generations of this family had grown up listening to those stories, and therefore he considered young people like Kasirius to be overly sentimental.

"How could the Venerable One be injured!" These were the old deacon's exact words.

"Is this the end of it?" Nick Fury poked his head out and asked. He had been hiding not far behind Salomon since the Gates of Hell opened; he knew exactly where the safest place was—it was almost an instinctive agent tactic. Salomon shook his head. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s job is done. Now it's our turn. We want the boy, and his mother," he said. "Fury, don't even think about digging into the boy's power; it's demon blood. You've already caused trouble once; you should know what you should and shouldn't investigate."

As a disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme, Salomon's words here represent Kamar-Taj's stance. The old deacons, the pillars of Kamar-Taj, also agree. These arcane families have consistently aligned themselves with Salomon, and the magic he offers and the Sorcerer Supreme's approval are their most significant bargaining chips. Nick Fury could only nod resignedly, press his headset to issue the order, and have Agent Romanoff escort Dani and Nadja off the plane.

"What about this door? Are your men going to guard it?" Nick Fury asked before Agent Romanov arrived. "I have a suggestion: set up a temporary base here to guard this door. I will use my most trusted men and most secretive agents to assist Kamar-Taj. Salomon, I'm making this suggestion to you very sincerely."

The arcane mage gave Nick Fury only a cold smile. No one knew if Hydra was among Nick Fury's most trusted agents; if so, it would be tantamount to handing over a channel for Hydra to make deals with Hell. Salomon would never allow such a thing to happen. Moreover, this place, after opening the Gates of Hell, had become a weak point between dimensions, requiring the combined spells of Kamar-Taj's numerous arcane mages to seal it; no one else was allowed to interfere. "No need," he shook his head impatiently. "Karmar-Taj can handle this. You just need to cooperate with us to dig out the devil's henchmen."

Bayonetta squinted and sniffed lightly; she caught a familiar scent. At that moment, Agent Romanov approached with the boy and the mother, who timidly stood in front of Danny. The events on the plane had terrified her; the rebellion of the demon's minions and the homunculi's slaughter had put her on edge. If anything else terrible happened, the string in her brain would snap—she would go insane. The boy, though also frightened, forced himself to remain calm after the initial shock and instead comforted his mother. He looked at everyone with hostility, including Salomon—a habit he and Nadya had developed during their long years of wandering.

"At least let me help with this," Nick Fury said. "I can help you put them somewhere no one knows, where no one will bother them, and I can even sign a contract."

"Is this the female spy?" Bayonetta asked Natasha suddenly. "She looks really beautiful!"

Salomon was deeply embarrassed by her awful tone, and Joan of Arc even secretly pinched his newly healed palm, sending his newly grown pain receptors into a frenzy. "We need to focus on what's happening now, Bayonetta," Salomon tried to change the subject, but the witch showed no mercy. "This is what's happening now," she said. "I need to find out who that spy you're secretly dating is."

The other sorcerers also watched with amusement. The Kamar-Taj heir's predicament was not something one could see every day. Even Kasirius had no intention of helping him out. He believed that this was something a young man should experience, and that Salomon was experiencing it a little too late.

"I'm not dating Salomon. He's too young and doesn't like older women like me." Agent Romanov's words were barbed. Even though the agents on the plane had witnessed the witch's power, she showed no fear of her.

The witches smiled broadly, while Bayonetta glared fiercely at Salomon.

Please vote for me!

Chronic gastroenteritis is so awful.

(End of this chapter)