Chapter 43: Bayonetta

Solomon was nearly about to pass out, really. The overwhelming sensation this woman brought him was far too intense. Solomon suspected that his ability to become a sorcerer had something to do with the fact that in his previous life, he was still a virgin at thirty. Luckily, thanks to frequent "training" under Athena, he barely managed to stay conscious, even while being captivated by the beautiful, light-colored eyes staring right at him.

"Yes, I'm here to find you." He leaned back as much as possible, fumbling nervously in his bag to pull out a letter. "This is a letter from the Sorcerer Supreme for you. I'm looking for a magic book, and the Sorcerer Supreme said you could help."

"Let me see." The witch took the letter and scanned it quickly. After a moment, she tossed the parchment back at him and said, "Looks like the Sorcerer Supreme knows more about my past than I do. If it weren't for needing my help now, she probably wouldn't have told me. Boya, tell me, and I'll help you find the Darkhold."

"What do you mean?" Solomon asked, confused. At this point, Rodin explained that Bayonetta had awoken twenty years ago from a coffin at the bottom of a lake. Aside from remembering that she was a witch, she couldn't recall anything. Her hunting of angels to feed demons was purely instinctual. If anyone knew the most about Bayonetta's past, it would be Kamar-Taj. After all, a sorcerer's order standing for a thousand years on Earth surely had records on the witch.

"This is a fair trade, Boya~," Bayonetta said, standing before Solomon. "And Italy isn't far from Vigrid, a place crawling with winged baddies. Someone like you, a little, young brother, could definitely use a big sister's protection, hmm?"

Bayonetta suddenly leaned in, sniffing the air with her sharp nose. Solomon had to step back until his back pressed against the bar. Her gaze turned sharp, and she reached behind her back. "There's a faint scent of rosemary on you... are you...?"

"No fighting in here, Bayonetta," Rodin interrupted, his voice as calm as ever, but it was enough to make Bayonetta reconsider her attack. The bartender kindly explained Solomon's identity, including the celestial phenomenon at his birth, which changed Bayonetta's attitude again.

"Oh?" She narrowed her eyes, carefully examining Solomon, including the stigmata on his hands. "At the time, I thought a high-ranking angel had descended and was about to rush to New York. So, is the holy child going to rebel against Heaven?"

"The Sorcerer Supreme says I'm human, and if she says so, then I'll always be human," Solomon said, regaining his composure. "As for what the higher planes intend, that's not my concern. Our goal is the same, Bayonetta—no extra-dimensional beings are allowed to set foot on Earth. Recently, the planetary defense system has been detecting frequent arrivals from the upper planes, so the Sorcerer Supreme asked me to lend you a hand where I can."

"So, you can fight?" Bayonetta's tone made Solomon stand a little taller, annoyed. 

"Don't underestimate me, witch! I've been trained!"

"Alright, then let's go." Bayonetta nodded, grabbing Solomon's hand and dragging him toward the exit.

"But I haven't eaten yet!"

"We'll eat at Enzo's place."

---

"Slow down! Slow down! Too fast!" Solomon kept muttering as he held on tightly to Bayonetta's slender waist. They were on her motorcycle, and the speed was so fast that Solomon had no choice but to cling to her. However, his pleas didn't make Bayonetta slow down; instead, she went even faster.

After a delicious meal at Enzo's place, Bayonetta wasted no time. She had Solomon open a portal to Florence, Italy, where angels were descending. Coincidentally, this was also one of Solomon's destinations, as the Franciscan friar Paul had stayed there for a time.

Bayonetta then placed Solomon on the back of her motorcycle, and they set off together. If this had been an ordinary fast ride, Solomon wouldn't have been so frightened, but Bayonetta's bike seemed to be enchanted with spider-climb magic, racing effortlessly across any surface. At that moment, they were speeding along the rocky face of a mountain cliff.

By the time they arrived at their destination, Solomon's legs were so weak he could barely stand.

"Oh my, are you already done, Boya?" Bayonetta's lips curled in amusement as she mocked him.

"Hmph!" Solomon huffed indignantly. "I'll get used to it. We don't do this kind of activity at Kamar-Taj. Next time, I won't..."

"Then, Boya, can you still move?" The playful lilt in her voice made Solomon's face flush again.

"Of course I can!" Solomon replied stubbornly. "I just need to walk around a bit."

"Okay~ Watch closely how big sister handles the monsters." A complex, purple magical circle appeared in front of Bayonetta, and as she stepped into it, she vanished. Solomon took a deep breath, put on his Cloak of Levitation, and recited a newly learned spell. A portal opened before him, but the scenery beyond it looked just like the one around him. Still, he stepped through.

This was the "Purgatory Realm," as Bayonetta called it. As a witch, she could freely enter and exit this plane. It was a thin membrane between the material plane and the outer planes, where extra-dimensional beings would first appear when descending onto Earth before crossing the Purgatory Realm into the material plane.

This realm and the material plane didn't affect each other. Here, only the transparent shadows of humans from the material plane could be seen, but there was no way to interact with them. However, non-living objects, such as buildings, were the same in both planes, and damage caused in the Purgatory Realm could also affect the material plane. Solomon suspected that this plane might be unique to this world, as it didn't match his planar studies.

As soon as Solomon entered, a golden spear tore through the air, flying straight toward him.

The sorcerer calmly sidestepped the attack. Before him stood a creature completely white, with a bird-like head adorned with a red mask edged in gold. 

This was an angel—or more precisely, an angel serving Jubileus called an Affinity. If not for the halo above its head and the pure white wings on its back, no one would think this was an angel. In addition to its bird-like head, its hands and feet were clawed like a bird's talons, and it tightly gripped the golden spear in its four claws.

Without enough time to cast a spell, Solomon quickly threw a punch, and the Ring of Raggadorr struck hard against the angel's mask. The angel staggered back. Solomon took a step forward, planting his right foot on the golden spear and kicking hard with his left, sending the Affinity angel stumbling backward, the spear falling to the ground.

Solomon bent down and picked up the spear. It wasn't too heavy, resembling a cross-spear, with an X-shaped blade just behind the tip, along with several small, uneven spikes. Though the design wasn't perfect, it was still usable.

Without its weapon, the angel didn't last long. Solomon easily pierced the bird-like head of the Affinity angel with the spear, causing it to dissipate into golden light. When he turned around, he saw more angels surrounding Bayonetta. However, her graceful movements kept them from landing a single hit, and she was effortlessly dispatching various bizarre-looking angels.

It seemed the angel that attacked Solomon was just a coward. Frustrated, Solomon threw the spear. Thanks to his training with Athena, his skill in this technique was decent. The spear, driven by immense force, pierced through an angel with a marble-like human face and small golden wings, pinning it to the ground.

"Boya~ Come help big sister!" Bayonetta called out to Solomon, even managing to tease him in the heat of battle.

Solomon snorted. That woman was teasing him again.

Still, it was a rare opportunity, and Solomon wouldn't miss the chance to test out his black magic.

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter