Father Moreau left with an air of nonchalance, utterly unfazed by Solomon's skeptical remarks about his faith. He wasn't there to proselytize; he believed Solomon would eventually find his own faith—it was only a matter of time. However, the prophetic dream he had delivered left the mage deeply troubled.
"The priest didn't see anyone else in his vision," Solomon said, holding a wisp of silvery smoke in his hand. Father Moreau had allowed Solomon to cast a spell on him to better understand the prophecy. "He only saw me standing alone against Marduk."
"If you're going to take this dream at face value, then you're an idiot," Bayonetta scoffed, clearly unbothered. "Of course we'll be there. Honestly, you should go visit No-Door Tavern and find a dream interpreter. That priest doesn't exactly look like he's studied the art of dreams."
"Well, it might happen as he described," Solomon replied, frowning as he took a sip of the soda the android had poured for him to soothe his dry throat. "Marduk, that lunatic, is obsessed with the Seventh Throne. Whether I want to sit on it or not, he'll want to kill me. There isn't a single hell lord who doesn't covet the throne. They're practically all my enemies, including Mephisto. But according to the records, every hell lord who's ever sat on the Seventh Throne has been quickly ousted—without exception—because devils never stop infighting. I suspect that if this really happens, it'll be because the old devil pulled some strings. Without Mephisto's meddling, Marduk wouldn't even consider attacking me in the Material Plane—especially with the Sorcerer Supreme around. That lunatic! Mephisto probably finds his idiocy entertaining."
"Demons and devils support you, Solomon," Jeanne chimed in. "Your seventy-two pillars of demon gods, Queen Sheba… As far as I know, the Butterfly Lady and the Lady of the Styx are in a fierce dispute with Lilith right now. I heard the Butterfly Lady even switched allegiances to Lilith's layer of the Abyss."
"If I wanted to stir up a war between the Abyss and Hell, I'd use that kind of maneuver," Solomon said. "And don't forget what Father Moreau said—Johnny Blaze is heading to the lower planes too. The seal suppressing his Spirit of Vengeance is breaking faster than he expected. In other words, the lower planes are anything but quiet right now. All it'll take is a spark to ignite a full-scale bloodbath."
"Ha! Do you think demons and devils haven't waged war on each other before?" Bayonetta laughed. "Sweetheart, a truce between demons and devils is the anomaly—it's been abnormal for millennia. From the moment these two races were born eons ago, they've been at war. The only reason there's been a truce is because of King Solomon. And now that Phoenix is by your side, it means that war is destined to reignite. Whether you want it or not, it's the collective will of the Abyss and Hell. Queen Sheba believes it, and so do the devils—especially the devils. Their entire economy is built on souls, and they're desperate to curb inflation. If they don't, they'll end up as paupers, while the demons continue to grow stronger. Perhaps that's exactly what Mephisto is aiming for—he wants to devalue the other hell lords' currency while increasing his own worth."
Leaning back on the sofa, Bayonetta sipped her wine as she broke down the economics of the lower planes for Solomon. "I know you're worried about the loyalty of your seventy-two pillars of demon gods—otherwise, you wouldn't be so obsessed with studying mechanical constructs. But Phoenix's loyalty is a good start, and even Belial, the Lord of Sloth, renewed his contract with you. That ancient pact is still valid, and Enochian isn't a language you just hear in a tavern."
Solomon couldn't understand why the witches were so eager for him to take the throne—whether it was the title of the Lord of Humanity or the Seventh Throne in Hell. The witches seemed to expect him to claim at least one of them, and they were particularly fascinated by the Seventh Throne.
From Solomon's perspective, however, he found the idea unappealing. After all, Hell had nothing of interest to him. There were no newly released video games, no concerts by adorable school idol groups, and certainly no fan fiction about Agent Romanoff (yes, that actually existed—and when Quake entered the scene, Black Widow x Quake quickly became a popular ship).
"I think Phoenix would answer my summons even without a contract," Solomon mused, thinking of the loyal, fiery red-and-gold bird that clung to him like an affectionate cat. But Phoenix's loyalty didn't necessarily reflect the sentiments of the other demon gods. "The first pillar, Baal, is a demon both Umbra Witches and I can summon, right?" Solomon asked. "When you summon Baal, does he say anything?"
"In front of witches, Baal only reveals one form. Do you think a toad can talk?" Jeanne replied. The first demon pillar, Baal, had three heads—a human, a cat, and a frog—attached to a spider-like body. When summoned by witches, he typically appeared in his frog form. According to Solomon's research, however, Baal had far more than three forms. His choice of the frog form suggested he might not take these battles seriously, which made Solomon question his attitude toward the ancient pact.
"You need to act like a ruler, darling. You may not be an adult yet, but you're certainly not a little boy anymore," Bayonetta teased, winking at him. "I'm the most qualified to say that, aren't I?"
You can't stay a child forever, darling. Video games and school idols are things you'll have to leave behind one day. The witch took another sip of red wine. You're destined to bear responsibilities. Between the burdens imposed by fate and the responsibilities entrusted by the Sorcerer Supreme, I'd prefer you take on the latter. Poor thing—the Sorcerer Supreme has already discussed this with us, as has Athena.
Solomon blushed furiously.
Meanwhile, the Sorcerer Supreme paced around the Ark of the Covenant, an uncharacteristic display of hesitation. Such moments of doubt were rare for her. The only one present to witness this was Balthazar, who sat silently, staring at the cup of tea on the table.
There was no question that reigniting the blood war between the Abyss and Hell was part of the Sorcerer Supreme's plan. This had been calculated long ago, ever since she took Solomon in as her disciple. By keeping the lower planes embroiled in chaos, the pressure on Stephen Strange, her eventual successor, would be greatly alleviated.
But the Ancient One had no intention of letting her most brilliant pupil die in this conflict.
Thus, the Ark of the Covenant, retrieved from Queen Sheba, had become the focus of her research. To ensure Solomon's safety, the Ancient One planned to open the Ark using sacred incense and harness the relics inside. Aaron's budding staff, for instance, had the ability to resurrect specific individuals, and Solomon was undoubtedly one of those it could revive.
The Sorcerer Supreme had already attempted various dispelling methods to break the seal on the Ark. However, unlike opening Solomon's refrigerator, breaking the magical seal formed by the cherub statues' outstretched wings was no easy task. Even for her, the magic was nearly impenetrable.
Balthazar, knowing the legends of the Ark, remained silent. His teacher had once admitted she couldn't open it either, so he had no intention of speaking up and risk drawing her ire. He knew the Sorcerer Supreme's temperament well—despite her composure, she had a sharp edge. Merlin's spells might have extended his lifespan, but they wouldn't protect him from this.
In Balthazar's eyes, the Sorcerer Supreme had already shown considerable restraint by not grabbing a screwdriver to pry the Ark open. He watched as she tried various tools to crack it, including Excalibur and the Holy Lance. Yet no matter how hard she struck or sliced, the Ark remained unyielding, filling the room with clanging noise.
Finally, in a fit of frustration, she opened a portal and left. When she returned, she was holding a golden spear and a hammer.
It was Gungnir. She had gone to Asgard to borrow weapons. Using Odin's spear as a crowbar, the Sorcerer Supreme began her next attempt to pry the Ark open.
Truly a king through and through—her temper hadn't changed a bit.
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]