Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: The Stalker



Gomorrah sank its teeth into the Beloved angel as if it were a juicy fruit encased in a tough shell. The demon's sharp fangs pierced through the angel's white exterior, and streams of blood trickled from the demon's mouth.

"The world will become what it's meant to be!" Even with the demon's jaws clamped around it, the Beloved angel continued shouting.

"I was talking about your face right now," Bayonetta replied. "Now let me hear it, let me hear your scream…"

"The Creator's glory is with me…" the angel called out, but Gomorrah bit down hard, shattering the angel's white shell completely. The demon tilted its head back, chewing and tearing into the sweet flesh beneath. Once Gomorrah had finished its meal, Bayonetta's hair, which had bound the demon, began to retract, pulling it back into the summoning circle. The endless black strands withdrew from the magic circle, and the witch's outfit returned to normal.

At that moment, the full moon hung incredibly close to the earth, and its pale light lazily bathed the shattered stone plaza. With his extraordinary eyesight, Solomon could even make out the craters on the moon's surface. A strong wind blew from the horizon, pushing the thin clouds swiftly past the moon, as if attempting to drape a veil over it, eager for its descent.

Beneath the moonlight, Bayonetta stretched her body leisurely, enjoying the sensation of the moonlight on her skin. The full moon was the day when a witch's power was at its peak, which was why she had chosen to hunt that day. She had fulfilled her contractual obligations, but there was still more work ahead. Before her next task, she needed a moment to relax. As for a traveling companion—well, who else could it be?

Leaning against a broken streetlight, Bayonetta pulled out a small candy shaped like a rose and popped it into her mouth. This was her reward for completing her work.

"You really went all out, didn't you?" Rodin appeared from nowhere, walking toward the witch. "How about that knight? Did it help?"

Bayonetta glanced at the magenta guns in her hand. "Not bad, I'll take care of this little one for now."

"It's time to open the shop," Rodin said as a purple magic circle appeared beneath his feet. "I'll be waiting for you."

Bayonetta removed the lollipop from her mouth, waved it around, and then put it back. "I'll come if I'm in a good mood."

She closed her eyes again, savoring the sweetness.

"I'll have the 'Mystery Fate' and olive oil ready for you." With that, Rodin was engulfed in purple flames and vanished.

"You really need to stop following me, Luka," Solomon said, his face filled with exasperation. Ever since witnessing the aftermath of the supernatural battle, the journalist Luka had followed Solomon wherever he went, refusing to leave his side.

"I have to know the truth," Luka insisted. "It's part of my journalistic code… well, it's also for personal reasons."

"If you hadn't mentioned the journalistic part, I might have told you something to make you die faster at the hands of non-humans," Solomon said, pushing the persistent reporter aside. "I don't think you understand what I'm saying. These are things ordinary humans aren't meant to know. What do you think would happen if humanity learned that angels and demons truly exist?"

"Uh… I don't know," Luka shrugged. "What would happen?"

"I don't know either," Solomon replied, brushing the dust off his clothes. "But I can imagine. Tithes, witch hunts, honor killings, the return of the Inquisition—anything could happen. Or nothing might. But given the general ignorance of humanity, nothing would surprise me.

"Some people might think: 'If we're going to Hell anyway, why not do more?' Or they might believe their rich neighbor is a demon worshiper and kill him to prove their faith. At that point, human malice would have a new outlet. People would say, 'I did this for God!' or 'It was a demon's command!' Mr. Luka, are you prepared to bear the weight of so many lives?"

What Solomon described was certainly possible, but it was unlikely to happen on such an exaggerated scale—at least not for now. With the advances in science, even if humanity were to capture an angel, they would likely try to dissect the unknown creature. Solomon was just trying to scare the naive journalist.

Apparently, Luka bought into the act. After that supernatural encounter, his mind was still struggling to process everything. And standing before him was an "expert," whose authority seemed somewhat credible.

"Fine, I promise I won't tell anyone. But I need to know…" Luka said, waving his hands in front of Solomon. "I have to know why my father died. I want to know if, in the eyes of people like you, ordinary lives mean nothing."

"Listen carefully, Mr. Luka," Solomon said. "The Sorcerer Supreme established Kamar-Taj to protect humanity. My teacher, a Celtic woman, safeguarded humanity for over a thousand years, driving all extra-dimensional beings off Earth—whether angels, demons, or even more terrifying creatures. Under the Sorcerer Supreme's protection, none of them can openly walk the Earth. Now, these angels and demons can only sneak in, constantly at risk of being discovered and destroyed by the Sanctum."

"Is Bayonetta one of your people, then?"

"No," Solomon replied. "She's just someone who hunts angels."

"Hunts angels? You mean those things I can't see?" Luka exclaimed. "So she really is a witch."

"Yes," Solomon confirmed. "Summoning demons, hunting angels—neither angels nor demons are good. I'm just here to make sure she doesn't summon a demon too powerful for this plane."

"And the demons…"

"There are too many angels right now, Mr. Luka. These angels don't belong to God. Their master never made a pact with my teacher, so Bayonetta has to hunt down these intruders," Solomon explained. "But that's not your real problem right now."

"What?"

"You've been caught spying. As far as I know, no girl likes being secretly photographed, even if Bayonetta doesn't need any editing. But I doubt she'll be pleased about it either."

"I…"

"Oh my, we've got ourselves a little stray cat here." Out of nowhere, Bayonetta re-entered the physical realm. "Boya, I know this guy. We've met several times before."

At the sound of Bayonetta's voice, rage flared up inside Luka. But remembering what Solomon had said about her work, he suppressed the anger that threatened to consume him. "Yes, ever since you killed my father twenty years ago, I've been tracking you. Fleur de Cirey—the lingering scent of rosemary. Even when I lost your trail, I could always find you by that scent!"

"Staking out and taking secret photos—such a naughty boy." Bayonetta didn't seem angry at Luka's accusations. With a wave of her hand, Luka's camera was engulfed in purple flames. He yelped in pain and instinctively let go of the burning device.

Well… that wasn't exactly angry.

"That's my livelihood!" Luka shouted, scrambling toward the now-destroyed camera, but it was too late.

"Rosemary isn't Bayonetta's perfume," Solomon said. "That's the scent of angels. And honestly, your behavior is a bit creepy. I suggest you report this, Bayonetta."

Luka looked up, his eyes wide in shock. "What did you just say?"

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