281. The Demon You Are Trying to Summon is Out of Service…
Summoning demons is a serious matter!
When Kara informed everyone about Alex's plan to summon the Seven Deadly Sins, everyone except Pietro instantly lost all traces of sleepiness, staring at Alex with heavy expressions.
Everyone present was a hero who had encountered supernatural forces. Setting aside the fact that their friend was a sorcerer and now the God of Thunder, Black Canary, they only had to look at the Bat Family, with their complicated ties to the Lazarus Pit, to know that each of them was well aware of the dangers demons posed.
These heroes, who had spent years mingling with the shadows of the night and dealing with all kinds of dark forces, always regarded demons as mysterious, dangerous, deceitful, and embodying the principle of "it's either you or me."
Bruce Wayne had previously warned them never to touch forbidden artifacts—those sulfur-spewing goats were bad news. Unless absolutely necessary, they should never get involved with such entities. So, when they heard Alex was preparing to summon demons, and not just any demons but the Seven Deadly Sins, their first instinct was to stop him. However, when Kate and the others were about to speak up, they found themselves suddenly speechless.
It seemed that Alex had no intention of seeking their permission. By the time they reached the deepest underground chamber of Arkham, the summoning ritual had already begun.
In the dark and damp storeroom, Alex was sitting cross-legged, levitating in mid-air.
Beneath him, a large circular pattern formed from blood was glowing eerily in the candlelight. The flames from the candles weren't bright, especially after Alex tainted them with green fire, casting a sinister glow over the entire room.
Slowly opening one eye and looking around at the immersive environment, Alex couldn't help but feel a bit excited. He had created all of this from memory. This eerie atmosphere could easily be used in his previous life as a ghost story setting without any sense of incongruity.
Although Alex didn't know much about the demons in this universe, he had personally been to the hellish borders of Mephisto and the old gods. He might not fully understand summoning rituals, but he certainly understood the demons' homeland.
To make the Seven Deadly Sins feel at home, Alex specifically transformed his magic into the aura of Hell's borders. That way, even if the ritual was a bit crude, it wouldn't prevent him from establishing a connection with the demons.
He quietly lit the last candle, and the ritual was about to begin.
The pungent smell of sulfur seeped through the cracks in the door. Even though they were separated by just a door, everyone outside could vaguely hear the wails of countless tormented souls coming from within.
Combined with the eerie green light flickering through the gaps, if Barbara hadn't known better, she would have thought they were witnessing some large-scale, creepy occult ritual.
And the most unsettling part was that, in Gotham, this didn't seem out of place at all. Especially here, in Arkham Asylum, they were having their first moment of realization that "summoning demons in this place feels strangely fitting."
It was as if this location was meant for that purpose, rather than locking up those so-called dangerous criminals.
"Are you sure Alex is summoning demons?" Kate asked stiffly at the door.
If it weren't for Kara, the Kryptonian, standing guard at the door, Kate would have already broken it down. It had been hard enough to find a safe haven. If Alex summoned something truly sinister, they might not be able to stay here anymore.
"I'm sure. I can guarantee the process is safe," Kara replied with an awkward smile.
"Safe?" Kate's mouth twitched. Hearing the distant, ghostly cries of a woman echoing in her ears, she couldn't help but say, "It feels like he's about to fling open the gates of Hell."
What the people outside didn't know was that Alex hadn't even started yet.
Inside the room, Alex listened to the immersive, mournful howls of countless souls and nodded with satisfaction. For his first time summoning demons, he had to make proper preparations to live up to his identity as a sorcerer.
Since Alex was handling this himself, he definitely wanted to make it grander than the rituals of Baron Blood John and Witch Linda.
With that thought in mind, Alex gently raised his hand. In the next moment, seven medieval mirrors slowly floated up, circling around him in an eerily strange manner.
Mirrors, whether in the East or West, have always been associated with spiritualism. Legends say that mirrors can awaken the demons hidden deep within one's soul, and also reveal the true form of these demons.
Alex was already imagining the scene of the demons of the Seven Deadly Sins appearing in the mirrors. He exhaled slowly and raised his hands, chanting in a low voice.
"Demons of the abyss, respond to my prayer and summoning."
The eerie green candlelight began to flicker, and the shadows on the walls started to distort.
"...Grant me what I desire. Let me hear your response."
The wails of the souls grew louder, and a sudden, chilling wind blew through the underground chamber. Even Alex's coat, which hung low to the floor, began to flutter in the wind.
Sensing the change, Alex snapped his eyes open, but to his surprise, the vision he had expected—the Seven Deadly Sins staring back at him from the mirrors—did not happen. The mirrors still only reflected his own image from different angles.
"...Looks like I'll need to add something extra."
Licking his lips, Alex narrowed his eyes and spoke again.
"By this call, I summon the Seven Deadly Sins!"
Before his words had even fully faded—
Crack!
Crack, crack!
At that moment, all seven mirrors began to fracture simultaneously. Countless web-like cracks spread across their surfaces.
It was as if the mirrors couldn't withstand the immense power, shattering violently under the force. The pieces, sharp as knives, reflected a faint glow as they scattered across the floor, producing a series of crisp sounds.
This was not the outcome Alex had expected. He instinctively shielded himself, and only after the mirrors had fully shattered did he turn his head to look. The floor was littered with smooth shards of glass, each fragment reflecting Alex's face, splitting him into countless pieces. But none of them bore even the slightest trace of a demon.
"What the hell..."
Alex picked up one of the shards with his fingers, carefully bringing it closer to his eye, hoping to spot something left behind on the mirror's surface. But once again, the result was disappointing. He didn't sense anything beyond his own reflection.
"...Could the ritual have been too simple, leading to the failure? Or perhaps the demons' powers were too great, and these ancient mirrors couldn't withstand their presence?"
Furrowing his brow deeply, Alex found himself baffled and unable to understand what had gone wrong.
-------------------
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world...
In front of the ruins of the Rock of Eternity, the previously silent surroundings were suddenly disrupted by a rapid, twisting force.
The air began to contort violently, as if this section of space was under the influence of some unspeakable, eerie energy. In the next moment, a trembling crack appeared in the fabric of reality. The crack grew larger, as if invisible hands were forcibly tearing open the space with terrifying strength. From the other side of the rift, thick, corrosive dark fog began to seep through.
The hellish fog roiled continuously, filling the atmosphere with an overwhelming sense of desolation. Strange, sinister shadows flickered in and out of view within the mist, like harbingers of death.
If you got closer, you could even hear the unsettling, terrifying whispers emanating from the black fog.
"Let go!
We're not going back.
We finally opened the dimensional passage.
Let's go, dammit!"
.....
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282. Constantine.
283. A Bad Encounter.
284. Why Not?
285: An Offer You Can't Refuse!
286. Magical Lightning.