Chapter 281: The Devil’s Daughter

"Moru, do me a favor. Check if the Vatican has recently sent any clergy to Portland. Specifically, exorcists," Solomon said, his eyes fixed on the blurred image outside the rain-streaked car window. The downpour distorted the outlines of everything outside, creating a hazy, dreamlike quality to the scene. Even the warm light spilling out from shopfronts was smudged into an indistinct glow. None of this, however, interfered with Solomon's ability to see his target—he wasn't using his physical eyes but magic instead.

Unfortunately, his spell seemed to have alerted the person he was observing.

"Got it? Good. Look into whether the individual's female, dark-haired, fairly attractive… though her expression is a bit stern." After hanging up the phone, Solomon sighed and grabbed the cold donut from the dashboard. He opened his left eye, which had remained shut until then. The rain had cooled the donut down quickly, and just as he was about to cast a spell to warm it up, he remembered the sensitivity of his target to magic.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath before reluctantly biting into the cold pastry.

"How long do we have to sit here?" Dave grumbled from the driver's seat. Ever since Solomon had made him drive his beat-up old car through a portal, Dave's mood had been deteriorating rapidly. "I have class to attend!" His voice grew louder, more agitated. "I also have a girlfriend! How am I supposed to explain to her that after class, I had to take a sudden work trip to San Francisco?!"

"Betty will understand," Solomon replied calmly.

"And what about your girlfriend?"

"She's on a mission hunting angels. Apparently, there's been an unusually high number of them this time." Solomon didn't even glance back as he continued observing the figure on the opposite side of the rainy street. The rain made it difficult to see the person clearly, but he could still track their general movements. What he couldn't do, however, was read their lips or discern what they were discussing with the cleric.

"You still haven't told me what we're looking for!" Dave snapped. "You should've explained this before we got here. I don't like being kept in the dark."

"Wait… Balthazar didn't tell you?" Solomon turned his head, genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected Balthazar to withhold such critical information from his apprentice.

"No! I'm busy studying environmental science, remember?"

"Alright, then. Do you at least know about the three-headed dragon Marduk and how he's trying to kill me?"

"Satan? Yeah, Balthazar mentioned that."

"Good." Solomon turned his gaze back to the figure across the street. "What we're looking at is one of Marduk's offspring. Unfortunately, I don't have their full background. S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't been very cooperative with me lately. All I know is that Marduk's child—let's call him Damon—had a tragic childhood. Some very, very bad things happened. Their father, from what I've gathered, was possessed by a demon. Damon has a scar on his chest in the shape of an inverted pentagram. Although it's incomplete, it matches the pentagram symbol on Marduk's own chest."

"Oh!" Dave exclaimed, then fell silent.

"Possession," Solomon continued, "is the only way lower-plane beings can directly influence the material world now that planetary defense systems are in place. And possession is almost impossible to detect. Kamar-Taj's systems can only sense disturbances in the ether or magical activity in a given area. We can't pinpoint who is casting spells, let alone identify who's possessed."

"So how do you know this person is Satan's child?"

"I have photos and an address. Mephisto provided the information—but, of course, he conveniently left out any context or history. Classic demon behavior. He knows exactly what I'm planning." Solomon sighed. "Drive, Dave. We're done observing for today."

"That's it?" Dave asked, his surprise quickly turning to skepticism. "You're not going to get out and arrest him or something? Isn't that your usual style? You're even wearing that fancy robe of yours! I remember another demon spawn who was under tight surveillance from you guys."

"Two, actually," Solomon corrected, shattering Dave's assumptions. "And I think this particular demon spawn might be interested in killing his own father. But I can't be sure just yet. Right now, he's too weak to act. If he's the real deal, I'll send him straight to Hell—literally. Now drive, Dave. We've got another target to find. Damon's already being watched by someone else. He has a sister, and we're only halfway through our mission."

"Two demon spawns… Looks like you're in for a world of trouble," Dave muttered as he started the engine. The car rattled and groaned as it pulled out of the parking spot.

Solomon couldn't help but worry. The old, beat-up car, worth no more than $200, felt like it could fall apart at any moment. Its age probably exceeded the combined years of both him and Dave. Fortunately, it held together long enough to get them to the alley where Solomon had opened a portal.

"Hey, you still haven't told me—where are we going next?"

"San Francisco. And once we're through the portal, change the car. I want a Bugatti Veyron. Drive like you're a trust-fund kid. You're white—no one in a big city is going to give you trouble for that."

"Anna Helstrom," Solomon called out, addressing the tall, short-haired woman about to step into a hotel. She was nearly the same height as Solomon, though a bit shorter than Bayonetta, which meant Solomon didn't feel the least bit intimidated. Anna, however, looked less than pleased by Solomon's sudden appearance. Narrowing her eyes, she scrutinized the robed mage before her, sensing an unspoken threat emanating from his presence.

"Let's talk. It's about your father."

"Father kidnaps daughter!" That was the only headline her father had ever left behind for the world. Anna would never forget the despair she felt sitting in that car. Over the years, her brother had been the only one chasing the truth about their past. Now, this stranger's sudden appearance brought those memories flooding back. Though suspicious, Anna reluctantly agreed to hear Solomon out. They stood face-to-face on the sidewalk.

"It seems like you don't have a great relationship with your family… Satana," Solomon said, deliberately using her future name. Although Anna Helstrom's powers hadn't fully awakened, Solomon had already noticed her deliberately tapping into her latent abilities during his earlier observation.

"I'm not Satana. Who are you?" Anna retorted, her tone sharp and defensive.

"Your blood carries magic, but your powers have yet to fully awaken. Right now, you don't stand a chance against your father." Solomon pointed at himself. "I need you, Anna Helstrom—or rather, Satana. I am your father's sworn enemy. Not your biological father, the one here on Earth, but the demon that possessed him—the father of your soul. I intend to train you. When the time comes for me to descend into Hell and face your father, I'll need your help."

"And how do I know I can trust some guy who just popped out of nowhere spouting nonsense?" Anna sneered. "I'm leaving. Don't follow me, or you'll regret it."

Anna turned and took a few steps, only to realize that she hadn't actually moved. The scenery around her remained the same, even though she could feel herself walking forward. Glancing down, she saw the concrete pavement shifting beneath her feet like a treadmill, pulling her back toward the red-robed sorcerer.

"Patience," Solomon said calmly. "I didn't approach your brother because there are unknown individuals shadowing him. I can't confirm whether he's already been compromised."

Anna, her anger boiling over, thrust her hand toward Solomon in an attempt to cast a spell. Solomon countered effortlessly, raising his ring-adorned hand to nullify her crude magical attack.

"You see," he said, "you don't even know how to use your powers. You simply raise your hand and let magic do the rest. But you're capable of so much more than that, Satana. I know your hatred—I know you want to kill him. I can help you, and you can help me."

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