Chương 72: Chapter 72: Best Friend
Solomon admitted that despite history's clear warnings, he still hadn't learned his lesson and severely underestimated the madness of monotheistic fanatics. Previously, there had been cases of Ragna Church members committing mass suicide to celebrate the upcoming resurrection of Jubileus. Now, it wasn't hard to believe that Sage Balder intended to sacrifice an entire city for the occasion.
The sorcerer supreme had guaranteed that the angels wouldn't harm Cereza, and neither would Balder, but missiles had no such discretion. Explosions and shockwaves didn't differentiate between their victims. At Cereza's side were Solomon's magical pet, the gray short-haired cat, and the demon Phoenix.
Even so, Solomon wasn't confident that Cereza could survive a missile strike. The destructive power of human-made weapons had long surpassed that of many magical spells. If there were as many missiles as Luca had reported, even conventional warheads would be enough to obliterate the entire city.
"Solomon, what are you planning to do?!" Luca yelled from the other end of the phone. "You're not seriously going to wait until those missiles launch, are you?"
Solomon looked out over the sea near Vigrid's Sun Island, where an invisible giant whale rose from the ocean, its gray waters dripping from the unseen form. Though his vision was obscured by the rain, Solomon could sense the whale's agonized thrashing on the surface, and through the downpour, even the mystics on the rocky shore could hear the pained wails from another world. The whale caused massive, erratic waves and violent currents—it was likely the source of the large whirlpools around the island.
That whale was probably the angel of wisdom, Sapientia, one of the Four Cardinal Virtues, and Bayonetta was likely engaged in battle with it. Solomon took a deep breath. Before Cereza could be sent to Bayonetta, he needed to eliminate anything that could threaten her life.
"Wait," he said, "I'll take care of this."
"But I'm not waiting for you. I'll tell you where it is—on the rooftop of the high-rise next to Isabel Tower," Luca said, sensing Solomon's urgency. "Catch up if you can, but I'm going to deal with the missiles first."
"Good luck," Solomon replied, hanging up the phone. He turned to the sorcerer beside him. "Send me there."
"What? Are you insane?" asked Wong, Solomon's former partner, now assigned to the same mission. "You weren't even given this task! And if Mordo finds out, he'll go ballistic. Do you really think you can survive under those missiles?"
"Destroying something is always easier than making it. I may not know how to build missiles, but I can certainly damage some electronics. Worst case, I can take them apart. Besides, this is my responsibility. Wong, that little girl will be sent to the island soon, and I can't leave those things there—they'll kill her. You know where to send me. I need to conserve my energy. Don't open the portal directly onto the rooftop—somewhere higher. I won't be hurt, but I don't want to walk into an ambush or give the enemy an easy way through."
"Alright…" After a moment of hesitation, Wong nodded. "Just be careful. If Mordo asks, though, I'll have to tell him where you went."
"I understand," Solomon said. "I'll be back once it's done."
"Take care!"
"I will."
Under the storm clouds, a spark of light flared. A circular portal opened in the brief lull between claps of thunder, parting the rain around it. A figure in a red robe leaped through, plummeting rapidly toward the ground. The portal Wong had opened was high above Sun Island, just as Solomon had requested, giving him a chance to assess the situation.
The wind howled in his ears, and the rain pounded against him, sapping his warmth and energy. The rusted scent of rain filled the air.
Isabel Tower was the tallest building on Sun Island, with golden wings extending from its sides that glowed in the light of bright xenon lamps, still shining even in the gloomy rainstorm. Solomon adjusted his posture and whispered a spell, controlling the air around him to slow his descent. His saint-like vision allowed him to make out the buildings on Sun Island, and on one high-rise rooftop, he spotted a glowing circular silo. Surrounding it, as Luca had described, was a line of missile launchers, each missile poised for launch.
He recited another spell and cast a small cantrip to push himself closer to the rooftop.
Standing atop one of the missile heads, like a crown of thorns, was a woman in a red leather outfit. As Solomon saw her, she noticed him as well. With a smirk, she raised her gun and fired at the rapidly gliding sorcerer. As soon as Solomon saw her lift her hand, he knew something was wrong. He bit down on a feather he had been holding, crossed his hands, and conjured a massive shield of orange sparks before him.
Jeanne fired several more shots, but only the sparks bouncing off the shield indicated she hadn't missed. With Solomon rapidly approaching, she let out a chuckle and leaped from the missile, leaving Solomon to crash into the ground with his Seraphim Shield. The impact was absorbed, and though he tumbled to the ground, soaking wet, he quickly stood back up.
"I thought Bayonetta would be the one to show up," Jeanne said disdainfully. "But it's you. Has Kamar-Taj decided to interfere with the revival of Jubileus too?"
"You know the answer," Solomon said, spitting out the feather. This wasn't the time to conserve magic. Seeing the woman wielding the four handguns, Solomon instantly became wary. It wasn't just her ability to hit him from hundreds of meters away that set him on edge—it was because Bayonetta had mentioned a woman who used similar techniques. He had to assume Jeanne was just as strong as Bayonetta, with the same ability to use Witch Time, if he wanted to plan his strategy effectively.
He glanced at the row of weapons around them. These human-made missiles, now standing quietly, hid their deadly potential. Once launched, they would transform into savage beasts, leaving behind only shattered buildings and charred remains.
"Is this what you're looking for?" Jeanne taunted, holding up a remote control with a glaring red button. She placed it on the railing beside her. "This is meant to make Bayonetta fight me at full strength. I can't let you take it. And you Kamar-Taj sorcerers, always meddling. You lot were clamoring for war even before the conflict between witches and sages began. If it weren't for the Ancient One, you wouldn't have lasted this long. Or… is it that your real goal is our clan's treasure?"
At this, Jeanne's previously relaxed expression turned fierce.
"I'm not interested in the 'Left Eye,'" Solomon said, looking at the angelic crest in Jeanne's eyes. "I guess you're a witch, but I don't know why you've allied with the sages. Either way, Jubileus won't be allowed to awaken. Someone else is handling that part. I'm just here for the remote in your hand."
"Oh, you're as annoying as a fly…" Jeanne muttered, but before she could finish, a cloud of spinning glass daggers surrounded her, their sharp edges slashing toward her body. Though Jeanne tilted her head to dodge the dagger aimed at her eyes, the blades sliced her leg and shoulder.
The spell "Cloud of Daggers," a second-circle incantation, wasn't something one could avoid by mere reflexes. Even if Jeanne activated Witch Time, it wasn't enough. The moment she was injured, she jumped out of the space filled with daggers, using magic to stop the bleeding. The attack hadn't hurt Jeanne much, but it did anger her. Solomon's goal wasn't to kill Jeanne—he wasn't confident he could. His real target was the remote control Jeanne had tossed aside.
But the remote was behind Jeanne, and to get it, he had to go through her.
"I really hate you guys," Jeanne growled, raising her guns and firing several rounds at Solomon. "You're just as disgusting as the angels!"
Bullets whizzed past Solomon, not hitting him as he zigzagged toward Jeanne. His success in dodging came from the combination of the "Mage Armor" spell and his own quick reflexes. Solomon ran forward, his hands glowing with orange-red sparks. A Ring of Raggadorr formed in his hands, and he threw it toward Jeanne.
His intention was to force Jeanne away from the remote control. After all, her bullets couldn't stop a magical projectile. Jeanne dodged the spell, but then her speed suddenly increased as she stepped onto the Ring of Raggadorr, propelling herself into the air. Her right leg, like a battle axe, swung down toward Solomon.
She intended to crush him!
In an instant, Solomon moved, crossing his arms to block her attack.
Jeanne was shocked. This was the first time she'd seen someone keep up with her speed in Witch Time. Solomon had partially unlocked his stigmas, greatly enhancing his combat abilities, but his soul's nature wouldn't allow him to sustain it for long. Jeanne instinctively fired the gun on her high-heeled shoe. The muzzle blast flared next to Solomon's ear, scorching his skin.
The deafening gunfire left Solomon's ears ringing, but it didn't stop him from reacting. He grabbed Jeanne's ankle with one hand, while the other blocked her incoming kick. The force
of her strike caused him to stumble to the side and fall to the ground, dragging Jeanne down with him.
Jeanne quickly planted her hands on the ground, using her core strength to lift Solomon into the air, bringing them face-to-face. Her right foot folded, and she delivered a powerful kick to Solomon's abdomen, causing him to let go in pain. The violent kick, combined with bullets from her shoes, sent Solomon flying into the air, freeing Jeanne from his grip.
As Solomon was still airborne, Jeanne fired several shots from the guns on her heels, the bullets striking his body.
Yet when Solomon landed, he was unharmed. The deformed bullets clattered to the ground. The cloak he wore had been enchanted with protective magic by the sorcerer supreme, and the bullets had left nothing more than a few bruises, no worse than being punched hard.
Solomon exhaled, reciting another spell and leaning forward as he charged at Jeanne once again.
He suddenly stopped, whipping out a bolt of lightning that wrapped around Jeanne's arm. He yanked back, trying to pull her to the ground. But Jeanne was far stronger than the partially unlocked Solomon. With a smirk, she grabbed the lightning whip and flung Solomon backward.
"Damn it!" Jeanne realized too late that she had fallen for the trick. The lightning chain disappeared, and when she raised her gun to shoot Solomon, the bullets passed through a cloud of silver mist. Solomon had already reached the remote control and stood before it, a shield raised.
"This is mine now," Solomon said, picking up the remote. He ignored the fatigue brought on by his stigmas as he straightened up. With a flash of electricity, the remote short-circuited and smoked in his hand. "I suppose you won't be inviting me for tea or offering me dessert, but I still have a few questions for you."
"What questions?" Jeanne's attitude relaxed as she saw the remote destroyed. She stood lazily, her body's curves on display, the previous aggression gone.
"What are you planning to do with Cereza? Why would Balder send her to Bayonetta?"
"Cereza?" Jeanne replied. "How could I ever harm Cereza? She's my best friend! As for Bayonetta..."
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