Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 801 An Italian Town (First Update)

The immense heat from the jet thrusters instantly evaporated the water beneath Salomon's feet, and the powerful recoil slowed his acceleration. Once he deactivated the thrusters, the water covering the plaza surged back in, submerging the power armor's footplates. The fully waterproof power armor remained unaffected, but a small amount of steam still blurred his and the witch's vision. Salomon didn't remove his helmet; the detection system behind the crimson visor continuously transmitted information about Noah'dune Town, drawing a short path. White data runes scrolled across the screen, displaying the countdown to the Sky Carrier's arrival, bombgun ammunition levels, jet thruster fuel percentage, Catherine's message, and other information.

Salomon blinked and closed the data.

The exquisite white building in the center of the square is half-built in the pool. The circular stained-glass window at the very center of its spire features vibrant red and blue geometric patterns framed in gold and silver, exuding the refined elegance of both the witch and sage races. Perhaps it is this inherited aesthetic that gives witches their extraordinary fascination with gemstones and precious metals; half of Bayonetta's collection consists of various kinds of jewelry.

"Thank you, little boy." The witch jumped down from Salomon's arms and took a few steps forward. She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the town and the distant snow-capped mountains. It was winter, but thanks to the town's unique geography, the climate remained warm. The constant flow of snowmelt from the mountains created lush vegetation, and the excess water even formed a large lake at the foot of the mountains. Although the town was remote, the goods still piled up by the vendors indicated that the people lived quite comfortably; selling seafood and fruit was their main source of income.

"How did you know?" the witch asked curiously.

Salomon pointed to the tourist information board erected next to the square.

The witch glanced at it and noticed that the notice board contained information about products from Noahdune Town, even listing the types of fish that were produced there. Below that were recommended local restaurants and numerous overpriced "specialty" items prepared for tourists. Bayonetta glared at Salomon, seemingly blaming the sorcerer for not telling her about this earlier.

"There's wine here," she said. "Maybe we can have a glass after the mission is over."

"We'll see later," Salomon replied. "I don't have high hopes for the wines here; they're too watery."

"Perhaps we should eat some sea bass; the sea bass here is quite good."

"You're right, but I believe the chef must have run for his life, and—"

The sorcerer tilted his head, pointing with his chin in another direction in the square. Two stray cats were dragging fish out of the restaurant, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings; it looked like more cats wanted to get into the kitchen.

"—Besides, we already have an owner for our dinner, and I don't think the local cats would be willing to give up their food."

Bayonetta glared at him reproachfully.

Regardless, chatting with Salomon always made her feel relaxed. Bayonetta's way of expressing affection was also quite direct and enthusiastic, even when Salomon was still a minor. "You're such a lovely little thing," she said. "Want your big sister to give you a nice reward?"

They crossed the square and entered the real town of Noah'dune, where they saw not just the glamorous side presented to tourists, but what lay hidden beneath the core of the residents' spirit. At Bayonita's strong suggestion, Salomon removed his helmet, enjoying a moment of tranquility before the battle.

The culture and architecture of this remote border town are completely out of step with the rest of the country. Everywhere you look, you can sense the unique refinement and elegance of the two races who are the world's watchers. There are no women wearing headscarves, nor any fanatical religious sites; instead, there are numerous exquisite, tall marble statues, and bold, expressive portraits are everywhere. This town seems less like Central Asia and more like the Italian coastline; at least, its crisscrossing waterways and small boats have a Venetian feel, and one can imagine that its inhabitants are just as welcoming as those on the Italian coast. Overall, it's a nice town—the roads are smooth, the environment is clean, and life is peaceful—much better than that garbage dump of New York.

If it weren't for this mission, Salomon would have liked to stay here with Bayonetta for a few days.

"This place feels just like home." The witch expressed her approval of everything here, including the espresso with its distinctly Italian flair.

"I sense the enemy." Salomon didn't draw his longsword from his waist, but instead pointed towards the foot of the mountain. He hadn't done so because he'd just gone into a roadside café to make himself and Bayonetta a hot coffee and a milk-filled tea, and with his other hand still around the witch's waist, he simply couldn't draw his sword. "A great deal of malice, but I can't yet determine the type of enemy. I recognize one of the spirits; it lingered near the gunboat, and that thing is following us. It should be a high-ranking angel, the same rank as the angel I killed in New York."

Salomon was somewhat worried about Catherine and her squad, but he figured as long as the higher angels didn't stray too far from Mount Finbowent, they should be safe. His anxiety stemmed from his father's worries; after all, the homunculus and his soul were somewhat connected, and he couldn't bear to see any casualties among them. He couldn't help but reply to Catherine's message, only to be met with several more text messages from the overly excited homunculus over the next few days, infuriating the arcane mage to the point of completely shutting down the communication channels.

"As long as they can be killed, that's fine." Bayonetta pushed up her glasses with the new pistol Rodin had given her.

Even without Salomon's prompting, she could see the enemies. The wings of the angels reflected sunlight through the clouds beneath the snow-capped peaks, their fluttering wings resembling a shimmering golden sea suspended in the sky. Finally seeing the enemies, Bayonetta quietly breathed a sigh of relief, the anxiety that had gripped her since Joan of Arc lay in her coffin gradually easing. Visible enemies were always easier to deal with than invisible ones. Bayonetta knew the enemy's target was her; they simply hadn't expected Joan of Arc to fall into their trap while trying to rescue her. The conspiracies and schemes surrounding the Eye of the World were like mosquitoes buzzing loudly in her ear on a summer night, utterly annoying. The witch felt a surge of anger coursing through her veins, but she didn't show it.

She drew a long, slightly curved sword, its blade imbued with a deep, chilling purple magic.

"Boya, are you ready?"

"certainly."

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Tony Stark circled New York City, listening to police radio broadcasts using his privileges, but still found nothing. Upon returning to upstate New York, he leveraged his connections in Washington, forcibly participating in the interrogation and investigation of the Platinum Star aerobatic team pilots. Ostensibly, he was providing technical support for the crash investigation; the real investigation was conducted by Agent Maria Hill, operating behind the scenes. Even though the US government had stripped S.H.I.E.L.D. of its resources, Agent Hill still possessed many classified technologies unknown to the public, technologies that Stark Industries had not yet fully digested.

"Agent Coulson can't participate in this investigation, Stark." Agent Hill lowered her voice, trying to keep this information from the rest of the Avengers base. Most people believed Agent Coulson was dead, and it was best to keep that belief for now. Tony Stark and Thor were the only two who knew Coulson had come back to life.

"What happened?"

"The Magic Boy is giving him trouble." Agent Hill rolled her eyes at the person she was imagining. "Apparently, Agent Coulson's team triggered some kind of annihilation-level event, and Salomon even threatened to drop a nuclear bomb."

Stark jumped up. "He has nuclear weapons?"

"If you include the nuclear weapons that S.H.I.E.L.D. once possessed, and exclude those that were stolen by Hydra... yes, they have nuclear weapons, and a lot of them."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)