Chapter 380: Who's in Charge Here

"Tch." Solomon's disdainful scoff was drowned out by the sizzling buzz of the airplane's overhead lights. The sound was carried into the starry summer night by the rising waves of heat. Tobias wanted to say something to Miss Hutchins, but the apprentices wielding the Sacred Blade of Vishanti were already advancing on him.

The ghost's wails as he came into contact with the apprentices' holy energy echoed like faint ripples from the depths of a lake. Tobias tried to flee, but Solomon, now armed with the pistol he had lent to Agent Coulson, fired a warning shot. The bullet tore up a chunk of sod near Tobias's feet, stopping him in his tracks. Memories of Solomon's terrifying visage in the ghostly realm flooded Tobias's mind.

That face had been far more horrifying than any of the rotting, fleshless spirits in the depths of the ethereal sea. Tobias, still new to the experience of drifting through the deep ethereal, hadn't yet adapted to its eerie nature, but he knew it housed terrifying beings. Yet when Solomon had appeared, those creatures had fled as though facing their natural predator.

Tobias let out an angry roar, only to be met with Solomon's mocking laughter.

"Move faster," Solomon taunted, aiming to provoke Tobias into attacking the apprentices. "Come on! You have no idea how much the woman you like despises the sight of your inbred, dim-witted face!" His words dripped with venom. "You still have sins to atone for, you oversized toddler swinging a wrench. You're unworthy even of becoming a minor devil in hell. At best, your soul will be ground into coins—the lowest denomination, no less."

"No! I…"

"Move it!" Solomon's chilling tone sent shivers down the spines of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. "I can obliterate your soul, leaving you with no afterlife—not even in hell. All you have to do is attack them…"

"That's enough, Solomon," Wong interrupted, frowning deeply. "This target isn't worth it. We can take the apprentices to the ethereal plane to find a proper ghost. This guy is a waste of time—too weak to be any challenge. Honestly, even the spirits we faced on our first mission were tougher than this."

Solomon paused, studying Wong with a crooked smirk before relenting. Wong's reasoning was sound. There were plenty of targets out there; no need to waste time on this goldfish-eyed fool. "I hope you're not pitying this idiot, Wong," Solomon muttered before addressing the apprentices. "Guard Hannah Hutchins and make Tobias talk. I want the truth about the particle accelerator explosion."

Skye watched Solomon expectantly. He gave her a brief smile before continuing. "Afterward, destroy his soul. The lower planes are at war, and I have no interest in adding another 'ding' to a demon's treasury."

"Do you think Tobias was tempted by a demon?" Wong asked, his curiosity piqued. "How can you tell? Only devils can see the marks of a pact on a soul. Can you identify which demon he belongs to?"

"Reckless, chaotic, and shortsighted—it's likely one of Baal's underlings, the most devilish of demons," Solomon replied, handing the pistol back to Coulson. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was visibly intrigued by the conversation, listening attentively but refraining from interrupting.

"Since that one-eyed skeleton incident, I've lost track of Baal's influence," Solomon continued, unconcerned about sharing this information with non-mystics. "Even Marduk's daughter couldn't provide clues, and her partner, who had been tempted, recovered after his breakdown. As for Marduk's son…" Solomon let out a scornful laugh. "He's chasing a young nun in Rome now, apparently trying to become a clergyman."

"That's absurd," Wong commented dryly.

"Isn't it? His demonic blood won't allow it. Given his dysfunctional family, I should find a way to send him to hell—it'll be a nice headache for his father," Solomon said, turning to the apprentices and urging them to wrap things up. Tobias's apologies meant nothing. Since Hannah Hutchins had met him, her once-stable life had spiraled into chaos. Now, his remorse was worthless.

Even the mystic apprentices, typically calm and disciplined, found Tobias intolerable. Had they encountered someone like him before joining Kamar-Taj, they likely would have slapped him outright.

The Agamotto Crystal Ball didn't lie. Tobias, as a ghost, was no stronger than he had been in life. Even if he ended up dragged back to hell, he posed no challenge to the apprentices.

Hannah Hutchins, however, sat sobbing on the ground.

"Leave this poor thing to you," Solomon said to the remaining mystics before leading the others off the plane. "Hopefully, I won't see you again."

"Who are you?" Hannah managed to ask through her tears. The warmth Solomon had provided in her cell was unlike anything she had ever felt. For a moment, she had believed she was close to God. "How can I find you?"

"Are you serious?" Solomon rolled his eyes. "Go home and praise God. Trust me—you don't want to see me again."

"Oh my, my darling little kitten," Bayonetta teased, yanking Solomon by the tie and pinning him against the wall. "One simple mission, and you've already charmed a devout woman? I guess I'll have to keep you locked away. Otherwise, shameless women will start flocking to you like bees to honey. And trust me, they'll want to lick a lot more than just your chest."

"Sweetheart, can we not give them a show?" Solomon gestured toward the room's non-human inhabitants. Phoenix, Cheshire Cat, and Pegasus were all seated on the couch, watching TV. Pegasus's tiny statuette form lay on a plush toy of itself. They all turned their heads to watch Solomon and Bayonetta at the door. The only one seemingly clueless was Samn Shaw's fostered dog.

"Teddy!" Jeanne whistled, and the German Shepherd immediately leapt from its bed. Dodging Cheshire Cat's swiping paw, it licked the gray tabby until it flopped onto the couch with an indignant meow. Teddy then bounded to Jeanne for affectionate pats.

"Now even Teddy knows," Jeanne said smugly. "Don't forget, Umbra Witches can talk to animals. Hey! What are you doing, Cereza? Why are you pinning him to the wall and kissing him? Look at his face—he doesn't even know what he did wrong!"

"I assure you, nothing happened!" Solomon wiped the lipstick off his mouth. "But I wouldn't mind another kiss."

"Then you know what to do."

"Of course, of course."

"Hey! Why are you two heading to the bedroom now?"

Cheshire Cat covered its eyes with its paw. It knew another family brawl was about to begin.

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]

[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]