Salomon’s Great Crisis! (First Update)

Just as the All-Father Odin was nearing death, the Sorcerer Supreme needed to leave Kamar-Taj with enough prestige and pick an enemy from among the many to make an example of. As it happened, Mephisto came knocking with his schemes. The order delivered by Balthazar on the Sorcerer Supreme’s behalf meant that the war between Hell and Kamar-Taj would no longer be the petty back-and-forth clashes between dimensions it had been in the past, but an expanded, bloody conflict that might last for years.

The Sacred Spear and the Sacred Sword were still different. Leaving aside the difference in power between them when the Sacred Sword had no sheath, the Sacred Spear, as a conceptual weapon that used the anchor pinning the material plane to the Dirac Sea, was far more effective against the Outer Dimensions than the Sacred Sword could ever be. The Sacred Sword dealt with threats to the primary material plane, while the Sacred Spear dealt with threats from the Outer Dimensions. The Sorcerer Supreme had already placed the most advantageous weapon in Salomon’s hands, which meant this conflict would only end when one side admitted defeat.

Mephisto had considered more than that. He believed the Sorcerer Supreme was helping Salomon seize Satan’s Throne. Though he also wanted Salomon to sit upon the Seventh Throne, that had to be under his control. Otherwise, he would gain another rival. He disliked anything that went beyond his plans, much less a situation where he might even lose the title of King of Devils.

The old devil’s face darkened. He stood there in thought for a while, then turned and walked toward the wailing gate that still reeked of blood and Sulfur, toward the crimson ground of Hell littered with devil corpses, paying no attention to the Arcanists behind him. Now was not the time for conflict. Since the two Sorcerer Supremes had dared to openly place their sect’s heirs before him, it meant Merlin and the Ancient One had both made preparations. Though he had lost a step in their previous contest of schemes, that did not mean he was foolish enough to jump into such an obvious trap.

He needed to return to his territory as quickly as possible to deal with the destruction the Sorcerer Supreme had caused there. He also needed to prepare to communicate with the other Hell Lords and face Kamar-Taj’s coming offensive.

Only after Mephisto vanished did Balthazar look around and slowly relax. In truth, neither Merlin nor the Sorcerer Supreme had prepared any other means to deal with Mephisto. Even if Salomon were at full strength and picked up the Sacred Spear now, he would need time to tame it rather than simply wielding it the moment he lifted it.

Cassilius asked the old stewards who had emerged from Hell about the situation. He was somewhat worried about the Sorcerer Supreme’s condition. Hell was not so easy to breach, and if the Venerable One were injured, Kamar-Taj’s strength would be greatly reduced. In response to his concern, the old stewards merely snorted disdainfully. This old steward came from one of Kamar-Taj’s Arcanist families. The elders of that family had witnessed the Venerable One slaughtering enemies in every direction, and generation after generation had grown up listening to those stories. Thus, he believed young people like Cassilius were always overly sentimental.

"How could the Venerable One possibly be injured!" Those were the old steward’s exact words.

"So, is this matter over?" Nick Fury poked his head out to ask. After the Hell Gate had opened, he had been hiding not far behind Salomon. He knew very well where the safest place was; it was practically his agent instinct. Yet Salomon shook his head. "S.H.I.E.L.D.’s work is finished. What comes next is ours. We want that boy and his mother," he said. "Fury, don’t even think about digging into the power inside that boy. That is devil blood. You have already caused trouble once before. You should understand what ought to be investigated and what should not."

As the Sorcerer Supreme’s disciple, Salomon’s words here represented Kamar-Taj’s position. The old stewards, as Kamar-Taj’s backbone, agreed as well. Those Arcanist families had also been moving closer to Salomon. The magic Salomon had produced and the Sorcerer Supreme’s recognition were his strongest bargaining chips. Nick Fury could only nod resignedly and press his earpiece to issue an order, telling Agent Romanoff to bring Danny and Nadya out of the aircraft.

"What about this gate? Are your people going to guard it here?" Before Agent Romanoff arrived, Nick Fury raised the question first. "I have a suggestion: establish a temporary base here to watch over this gate. I’ll use my most trusted personnel and most secret agents to assist Kamar-Taj. Salomon, I am making this suggestion in complete sincerity."

The Arcanists answered Nick Fury only with cold sneers. No one knew whether Hydra was among Nick Fury’s most trusted agents. If it was, that would be equivalent to handing Hydra a channel through which to trade with Hell. How could Salomon allow such a thing to happen? Moreover, after the Hell Gate had opened, this place had become a weak point between dimensions. It required many Arcanists from Kamar-Taj to cast a joint sealing spell, and no outsiders were permitted to interfere. "No need." He shook his head impatiently. "Kamar-Taj can handle this matter. You only need to cooperate with us in rooting out the devil’s lackeys."

Bayonetta narrowed her eyes and sniffed lightly. She caught a familiar scent. At that moment, Agent Romanoff approached with the boy and his timid mother, who still stood protectively in front of Danny. What had happened aboard the aircraft had already terrified her. The rebellion of the devil’s lackeys and the Artificial Human’s slaughter had frayed her nerves taut. If anything frightening happened next, the string in her mind would snap completely—what people commonly called being scared insane. Though the boy had also been frightened, after the initial shock he forced himself to remain calm and instead comforted his mother. He watched everyone, including Salomon, with hostile eyes. It was a habit he and Nadya had developed during their long life of wandering.

"At least let me help with this," Nick Fury said. "I can place them somewhere no one knows about, where no one will disturb them. I can even sign a contract."

"So this is that female spy?" Bayonetta suddenly asked as she looked at Natasha. "She really is quite beautiful!"

That awful tone made Salomon extremely awkward. Jeanne secretly pinched his newly healed palm, sending the pain nerves that had just regrown into a frenzy of alarms. "What we need to focus on is the matter at hand, Bayonetta." Salomon tried to change the subject, but the Witch had no intention of giving him any face. "This is the matter at hand," she said. "I have to know who that female spy you’ve been secretly dating is."

The other Arcanists wore expressions as if they were watching a show. It was not every day that they got to see the embarrassing side of Kamar-Taj’s heir. Even Cassilius had no intention of helping him out. He believed this was something young people ought to experience, and Salomon was already experiencing it rather late.

"I was not dating Salomon. He is too young and does not like old women my age." Agent Romanoff’s words were barbed. Even though the agents aboard the aircraft had all witnessed the Witch’s power, she had no intention of fearing her.

The Witches were all smiling. Bayonetta shot Salomon a vicious glare.

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