Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

"What is this?" Bayonetta asked, pointing to the symbol.

"The Brotherhood of the Holy Shield!" Solomon took a deep breath. He had always known that there were strange and mysterious things in this world, but he never expected the Brotherhood of the Holy Shield to actually exist. This organization dates back more than two thousand years, originating when the pyramid architect, Imhotep, rose up to fend off an alien invasion of Earth, becoming the first leader of the Holy Shield.

Kamar-Taj was founded by the second Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, but this organization was even older than Kamar-Taj. Many famous historical figures were members of the Brotherhood, including Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Tesla, Zhang Heng, and even... Howard Stark.

The mystery of why the Franciscan order held so many alchemical texts was also unveiled. The famous alchemist Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan was a member of the Holy Shield Brotherhood, and Latin alchemy had been heavily influenced by Middle Eastern practices. Paul's manuscripts were definitely stored here.

If da Vinci's manuscripts were present, it wouldn't be surprising if those of Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan were here as well.

Moreover, the Franciscan monk Roger Bacon's concerns about the "Antichrist" might not have been unfounded. Such fears could have originated from the documents of the Holy Shield Brotherhood. Several passages in the Gospels recount Jesus' predictions to his disciples about the impending great tribulations and persecutions, saying that after these events, he would return as the Son of Man in glory.

What exactly was the Antichrist? What was the impending disaster? The Second Coming of the Son?

Solomon glanced at the holy mark on his hand, thinking about his birth, and he didn't dare think further. He still had many unanswered questions, and he was certain the Ancient One knew something. But whatever it was, he needed to be prepared.

He stood up, slipped on his sling ring on his left hand, and began drawing a circle with his right hand. A portal, edged with glowing sparks, opened before him, leading directly to Kamar-Taj's training ground. He was going to need a lot of documents—history's mysteries were unraveling before him. Although Solomon was primarily searching for clues related to the Darkhold, these other matters had now become equally important. He needed to understand how much chaos this world still had waiting for him to face.

"Hey, brothers," Solomon called through the portal. "Could you help me carry a few boxes? There are too many documents here for me to handle alone. Oh, and bring some chloroform—our dear friar here is about to wake up."

"So now we're robbing churches?" Bayonetta asked with amusement as she watched Kamar-Taj's apprentices come and go through the portal. These apprentices were grateful to Solomon for helping them "secretly" improve their meals, so they were more than happy to lend a hand with this small favor.

"At worst, it's petty theft. Besides, there are no security cameras here," Solomon replied, patting the witch on the arm. "Relax, I think I've found what I need. Good afternoon, Master Mordo. It's five hours later here than where you are—just in time for lunch."

"What are you doing?" Mordo's eyes widened as he looked at Bayonetta, standing next to Solomon. "Where did you get all this? What did the Ancient One send you to do? And who is she?"

"The Church of the Holy Cross," Solomon explained, shaking his head vigorously. "I was just hunting some extra-dimensional creatures. No, I swear, I didn't expose any magic. This is my partner, a friend of the Ancient One. She's very good at killing angels. Master Mordo, I just needed to gather some documents, though there are quite a lot of them. I'd like to bring them back to study in peace. Could you arrange for them to be moved to my room and set up a mirror dimension there? Thanks."

Bayonetta impatiently pushed up her glasses with her gun, her high heels clicking sharply on the floor.

Solomon quickly waved his hand, and the remaining manuscripts in the library floated up and flew into the portal. Even with the help of the Kamar-Taj apprentices, moving all the manuscripts took at least twenty minutes. Solomon called out to the other side of the portal, "Master Mordo, I'm still busy here! Don't forget, make sure they're taken to my room!"

"Well done, brother." Solomon patted the arm of the last apprentice to slip through the portal. "Lobster for dinner tonight, my treat."

Thanks to magic, the library of the Church of the Holy Cross had been emptied in no time. All that was left were the empty shelves, the unconscious Franciscan friar still lying on the floor, and a chloroform-soaked rag, though no one was sure who had brought it. The poor friar was going to be out cold for quite some time.

"All done?" the witch asked, raising an eyebrow.

"All done," Solomon confirmed. "Now I need to spend some serious time reading."

"Then let's go," Bayonetta said. "There are still plenty of angels waiting for us to hunt."

Solomon's search for the Darkhold was temporarily put on hold, but Bayonetta still had many things to deal with. Not only was there the issue with Vigrid, but she also needed to regularly feed her demons, as required by her contract—an obligation that couldn't be ignored. By feeding the demons, she ensured that she could continue summoning powerful ones to assist her in battle.

This would keep her busy for a while, but fortunately, there were plenty of angels to go around.

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"Bang!" Bayonetta casually fired a shot at the angel beneath her heel, the bullet piercing its head. As its blood splattered, its body quickly dissolved into golden particles that floated upward. She turned to see Solomon smashing another angel on his knee, the holy light from his sacred shroud rising around him, making him look as pure as the Son of God.

After finishing a relatively easy battle, Bayonetta proposed an idea to Solomon. It was a suggestion that could greatly enhance his combat abilities—a fighting style that was perfectly suited for him.

"According to legend, King Solomon could summon seventy-two demon gods to assist him," Bayonetta said. "If you made a pact with a demon lord like Belial to command the seventy-two demons, that would be your true fighting style. Like me, you could use your magic to bind demons and control their behavior. I can do it, and so can you. With your magic, don't worry—you'll have plenty to spare."

Bayonetta bound demons using her hair, which stored her magic. She was able to do this because witch magic had a unique quality that allowed her to control demons. Solomon, too, possessed a similar magical quality. The Ancient One had once told him that the stigmata on his hand was a form of "idol magic," granting him power akin to that of King Solomon.

However, Solomon had reservations about summoning demons. He trusted his own magic more than relying on demons. But when facing angels, he often found himself outnumbered, and Bayonetta wasn't always able to help.

"I'm sure the Sorcerer Supreme has seen all this," Bayonetta remarked with a smirk. "But you Kamar-Taj folks are so rigid. Why not give it a try, little boy?"

"I can't make a pact with demons, Bayonetta. My soul belongs to me alone," Solomon firmly replied. There was no way he would summon demons through a contract, as that would mean surrendering his soul to a demon lord, just like Bayonetta had. King Solomon himself had suffered this fate, and Solomon wasn't about to repeat the same mistake.

"But there must be other ways to summon demons besides making a pact. I'll give it a try—just need your help."

"No problem, boya~" Bayonetta winked, clearly pleased. 

Good morning.

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