Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

Nick Fury made no secret of his intentions with Solomon. He wanted to keep Solomon under close observation. Fury promised that as long as Solomon joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, he would have access to unimaginable resources—whether in technology or magic, whatever Solomon asked for, Fury would make it happen. This was not only to monitor Solomon, who Fury saw as a dangerous individual, but also to gain access to the magic and "alien technology" that Solomon possessed. Fury's previous suggestion to send someone to Kamar-Taj had been ruthlessly rejected, so now he had to find a way through Solomon.

But Fury was met with the mystic's disdain.

Solomon believed that any school without a School of Divinity, without castles, without a Classics department, and without having produced a Soviet spy wasn't a real university. S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, in his eyes, was little more than a vocational school. Plus, Solomon had no intention of telling Fury what exactly he was up to in Asgard.

"I can count the people I trust on one hand," Solomon said. "But we share the same goal. Wouldn't cooperation be better?"

"Then stop wasting time," Solomon scoffed as he stood up. "You have nothing to offer me. This isn't cooperation; it's extortion. Magic comes at a price, and so does trying to pry into it. Maybe you're irreplaceable, but others are not. The next time you suggest something like this, I'll cut off your 'fingers'."

With that, Solomon opened a portal and stepped out of Fury's office. His vacation time was running out, and he was in a hurry—he hadn't even finished his homework yet! Eton's coursework wasn't just difficult; the school's strict lifestyle was also demanding. Just yesterday, the housemaster had sent Solomon a message asking for his updated height to tailor a new uniform. After all, a single holiday was enough for a teenage boy to grow five inches, and the housemaster would never allow a student to wear an ill-fitting uniform to school.

By the time Solomon left campus again, more than a month had passed, and Christmas was approaching. Even Eton College would take a break for the upcoming holiday. After returning to Kamar-Taj, Solomon immediately enjoyed the freedom and flexible schedule. He also took the opportunity to test out some of the new spells he had learned. After a simple birthday celebration, he planned to head to Japan to participate in a "Winter Comiket" event, something akin to a holy war for fans.

Not only had Eton failed to rid Solomon of his nerdy tendencies, but those tendencies had actually worsened. As long as no one was watching (or when he was with Bayonetta), Solomon would quickly retreat into his introverted habits, wrapping himself in blankets and snacking like some mysterious creature.

However, before he could engage in his "holy war," a few mystics caught up with him, including Wu Guiyue, the guardian of the Hong Kong Sanctum, as well as Sorcerers Xiao Wang and Hamir.

"It's time to celebrate the New Year. Everyone should gather together," Wu Guiyue said, tapping Solomon on the head with the Wand of Watoomb. "Don't even think about going to Japan. Foreigners celebrate Christmas, so the shops will be closed. Go to Chinatown and buy some turmeric, sweet wine, and soy sauce. Xiao Wang will go with you, and hurry back. My daughter will be coming, and you, as her big brother, need to look after her."

"I already got her a gift!" Solomon replied, now able to understand Wu Guiyue's dialect fairly well, though his pronunciation was still off. "It's for Alice. None for you guys," he teased. "Doesn't the Ancient One celebrate?"

"Halloween's long past," Hamir said. "If you're so filial, go spend time with the Ancient One tonight."

"I have others to keep company too," Solomon retorted.

"So young and already such a flirt," Wu Guiyue said knowingly, clearly aware of the witch Bayonetta. "Bring them all for New Year's. Just don't let Alice get upset."

"Your daughter's still a kid. I'm already fifteen," Solomon rolled his eyes.

"I know," Wu Guiyue waved him off, signaling him to leave quickly. Sorcerer Xiao Wang dragged Solomon outside, clearly a bit nervous with his father present. Once they stepped through the portal and arrived in New York's Chinatown, they found a dragon dance celebration in full swing. Colorful confetti filled the air, blanketing the street, while the sounds of drums and suona instruments echoed continuously. This was just a small New Year's Eve celebration; the Lunar New Year celebration would be much grander.

"Stop arguing with them," Xiao Wang grumbled. "My dad's been cutting my wages to make me lose weight."

"But you haven't lost any weight at all," Solomon teased, patting Xiao Wang's round belly. "How are you still affording food?"

"I do all the cooking at the Hong Kong Sanctum," Xiao Wang shrugged innocently. "Is it wrong to taste the food while cooking?"

"I don't think you'll ever get control over your own wages," Solomon said, disgusted, wiping his hand. "Let's hurry and get the stuff. I still need to pick up Bayonetta and Joan of Arc for the New Year."

Xiao Wang, being very familiar with Chinatown, led Solomon through the crowded streets toward a small supermarket next to the dragon dance. But just as they stepped out of the crowd, they heard a startled scream. Someone had fallen from a building, landing in a pile of paper boxes filled with confetti. The person immediately stood up, seemingly unharmed, but their appearance was odd. They had a Qing Dynasty hairstyle, a fierce expression, and were wearing a metallic skirt.

The surrounding crowd assumed it was some kind of performance and started clapping. Solomon and Xiao Wang clapped along while making their way through the crowd. But after a few steps, they both stopped. Despite the external noise, they sensed something louder in the etheric plane—a wave of magical energy rising, louder to them than the nearby suona.

"Magic!" Solomon turned back to where they had just passed. The crowd had filled the area again, but he and Xiao Wang could tell the source of the magical surge was there. "Is anyone else supposed to be in Chinatown today?" Solomon asked Xiao Wang. "Or is there a sorcerer living here?"

"No idea!" Xiao Wang shook his head. Deciding to stay and investigate, they knew it was Kamar-Taj's duty to keep magic hidden from the public. If it was a rogue sorcerer casting spells in public, they would have to deal with it.

"There!" Solomon pointed toward the dragon dance. The once-bright red fabric had transformed into dark scales, and the wooden dragon head had turned into flesh, its body morphing into muscle that extended down its length. The feet of the dragon dancers were now covered in scales, changing into the claws of some other creature. Small wings sprouted from the back of this newly-formed beast.

It was a bizarre-looking dragon, with the head of an Eastern dragon and the body of a Western one, short and plump. As it let out its first roar, the crowd scattered in terror. Xiao Wang grabbed Solomon, running toward the strange dragon. This was a sudden magical accident, and it was Kamar-Taj's responsibility to handle it. But before they could get closer, a gust of wind blew in from behind, sending confetti swirling into the air and flooding the entire street. The wind formed a vortex, encircling the creature.

"There's more than one sorcerer here. Someone's blocking the dragon's sight," Solomon said, pulling up the hood of his mystic robes to keep the confetti and dust out of his hair. "You check out the one behind us; I'll handle this one."

"Got it." Xiao Wang nodded and ran up a nearby fire escape. The sorcerer who had cast the spell earlier had revealed their location. Even though they had shielded the dragon's vision to protect civilians, Xiao Wang couldn't be sure if they were friend or foe.

The surge of etheric energy from the dragon continued, blurring the original caster's position. Solomon had to rely on his memory and sense of direction as he moved forward. The sound of drums had stopped, leaving only the dragon's roars and the sound of crumbling bricks.

"Balthazar!" someone shouted. A fresh wave of etheric energy followed, though much smaller than before. But before Solomon could take more than a few steps, the street echoed with a violent explosion.

"You skipped the first step!" someone responded to the shout.

"That's right. You skipped reporting to Kamar-Taj, rogue sorcerer!" Solomon emerged from the shadows, facing a burly man with a Qing Dynasty hairstyle. The man immediately adopted a hostile stance upon seeing the Kamar-Taj emblem, growing tense.

"You! And you!" Solomon pointed at the strange man and the gray-haired figure in a black coat behind him. "You're both coming with me. Kamar-Taj needs to question you. Or are you planning to defy Kamar-Taj's laws?"

"Can we talk about this later?" the man in the black coat shouted. "I have connections in Kamar-Taj!"

"Nope." Xiao Wang appeared behind him, his hands crackling with energy.

The burly man with the Qing Dynasty hairstyle waved his hands, causing the brass dragon sculpture on his belt to come to life and crawl toward them. At the same time, the strange dragon burst through a window above Solomon, accompanied by shards of glass and brick, crashing down toward the mystics. Before the rogue sorcerer could

 check what had happened, a siege hammer spell slammed down on him from above, knocking him to the ground. Solomon followed up, knocking him out with a punch.

Phantom Step plus Siege Hammer, followed by a punch—this vertical combo was extremely effective.

With the sorcerer unconscious, the mutated dragon went berserk, climbing up the residential building it had first targeted. Solomon cast Dispel Magic on the brass dragon on the man's belt. Soon, the dragon returned to its original form—just wood and fabric.

As the dragon dancers began to fall, the man in the black coat cast a spell to catch them, gently lowering them to the ground. The vortex of wind began to dissipate, and Solomon dragged the unconscious rogue sorcerer by his feet through the confetti, walking over to Xiao Wang.

"Let's go." Xiao Wang said to the man in the black coat. "You're coming back to Kamar-Taj with us. The Sanctum Council will deliver a fair judgment."

"We still haven't bought our stuff. As much as I've accepted the fact that I'm a protagonist, it's still a hassle when trouble finds me," Solomon grumbled, glaring at the man he was dragging. "Who is he? And who are you? Why are you here?"

"He's Sun Long, a dark sorcerer. I had imprisoned him, but another sorcerer freed him," the man in the black coat explained, making a gesture. "I'm Balthazar, a Level 777 sorcerer of the Merlin School. I'm well-acquainted with the Ancient One… if the Sorcerer Supreme hasn't passed away yet."

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