Chapter 25: Arc 1: Chapter 23: Rare Goods incur Rare Needs

"No! Don't touch it!"

The shouting resounding in the darkness made Johnny Blaze look back abruptly.

He sees a young man wearing glasses running towards him; he subconsciously tries to retract his hand, but the old man reaches out and drops the contract onto his hand.

The old man had a surprised expression, but his eyes were of a conspirator whose plan had succeeded.

As the contract falls into his hands, a sharp needle placed on the contract pricks Johnny's skin, causing blood to flow out and drop onto the contract.

"Shwaa"

The dark power contracts itself, and Johnny falls onto the ground as if he had fainted.

The running Merlin stops his pace.

He could see the blood coming from the young man's finger, as well as the golden contract the old man picks up.

The devil disguised as a human, places the contract in his hand; then he looks at Merlin with a gloomy expression.

Fire burns the golden contract, and in the screaming and howling of an unknown soul, the golden contract quickly turns into ashes and flies around the old man before dissipating into the air.

He was too late.

The devil's contract was completed.

"Whos' the little sh*t who tried to ruin my work?"

The old man holds his cane with both hands and looks at Merlin disdainfully. Merlin, under the cover of darkness, clenches his fists and looks back at him.

He did not fear the devil in front of him because it was but a projection.

Maybe its true form in Hell was almighty, but the Phantom Stranger had told him about the boundaries and rules between the Mortal Realm and Hell. As long as he didn't try to summon a devil or demon, as long as he wasn't afraid, he need not worry about these devils/demons causing him harm.

Slightly pressured by the devil in front of him, dark power circles Merlin's clenched fists; the mana similar to dark fog begins to exert from his fists, whose familiar scent made the devil squint its eyes.

"Hoh, look who it is."

Although the devil's projection in the mortal realm lacked power, it didn't obstruct its outlook.

It saw through the source of Merlin's power and sneers:

"Well, if it isn't one of Trigon's 'sons'. Did your father send you here to stop me? Tch, well, you almost did it, but unfortunately, destiny is with me today."

The devil cackles, in its human form, the old man let out a gloated expression:

"You failed, child. Your father will soon come to punish you, it must be hard being Trigon's 'son' with that violent temper of his, eh?"

"He's not my father!"

Merlin retorts. He glances at the unconscious Johny with his second sight and sees the devils' power slowly laying dormant in his body; there was nothing he could do to save him.

So he turns around and gets ready to leave.

But then the devil behind him speaks:

"Wait, I was wrong...you're not Trigon's 'son'. Fascinating, that tyrant is trying to copy from me and make knights in the mortal realm; yet he's a complete amateur at that, thus a freak like you were born."

"Copy from you?"

Merlin looks back with a hint of realization, he asks:

"You're Mephisto? The devil which likes to make knights?"

"Indeed, it's me."

The devil bows down gracefully like a historical figure from history, he lifts his head and looks at Merlin. He asks:

"I can feel that you have multiple questions, you seek salvation from Trigon's control? Why not ask the wise Mephisto for help? Perhaps I could be of use."

"Forget it."

Merlin takes a step back, looks at the pretentious devil, and replies:

"My life's bad enough with a demon, I do not want to attract a devil."

"That's not your choice to make, pitiful child."

The old man walks within three feet of Merlin and takes a deep breath as if smelling for some unseeable things.

He continues:

"Some helped you, right?"

"Trigon's mark on you has been erased. That pendant you're wearing can help suppress the dark powers that leak out from the rare double soul assimilation you're experiencing, yes, it's of Atlantis. I also smell the scent of an old 'friend'; it's a bit faint, but have you come into contact with an annoying bell before?"

"I almost got killed by it."

Merlin takes another step backward, he looks at the Great Devil Mephisto and asks:

"What is that bell?"

"It's an artifact. To be precise, it's a piece of a set of artifacts; ringing the bell alone brings nothing but disaster."

Mephisto explains:

"In the set with it, are the Red Jar and Silver Wheel, gather these 3 items and ring the bell, and you will be granted the combined power of the Demons Three. Of course, after your pre-destined death, those three bastards will be released...it's a node part of an endless cycle."

The Great Devil spoke clearly, its words friendly; as if it were telling a fairy tale.

Mephisto's seemingly all-knowing attitude makes merlin hesitate; moments later, Merlin looks to Mephisto and asks:

"You said, you can help me break free of Trigon's shackles? Why help me?"

"Because you're a rare good."

A ring of burning ash flashes across the Great Devil's eyes, it replied frankly:

"As you can see, you have Trigon's power in you, so if you were to be discovered by it, you would have no choice but to either surrender or die. But you're an energetic one, you wouldn't let it have its way, you would resist with all your might."

"Huhu, battles between father and son are most entertaining drama in Hell."

"I don't even have to show myself, I just need to push a little, and you'll stand on the opposite side of Trigon. No one knows how far you'll get; but if I could give Trigon some trouble, or even an opponent at the price of some insignificant knowledge, then why not?"

The Great Devil spreads its arms and looks at Merlin as if looking at a rare treasure.

It uses a seducing tone and says:

"Let me tell you the cold truth, child."

"Trigon has many 'sons', it generously gives out its powers, like grazing pigs...with care, those pigs would soon grow stronger, and as soon as they become edible; Trigon would devour them all!"

The Great Devil snickers:

"It's a most torturous and merciless process, so much that it even makes me feel grief and sorrow."

It takes out a napkin and pretends to wipe its fake tears like a crying crocodile.

Its eyes roll, and continues:

"You've already made a connection with trigon, albeit that connection has been cut off for now, but eventually it will reactivate. Child, Trigon's powers are unique, they include many elements and can be moved between living orgasms, so if you wish for freedom...then you must defeat Trigon and strip its powers mercilessly! Turn it into your 'son'."

Merlin's expression froze, the Great Devil taps on his shoulder with a hint of uneasiness and says:

"Huhu, of course, I doubt you can do that. So the wise Mephisto shall give you a second opinion, listen carefully!"

The Devil lowers its voice, its tone cold yet deceitful; it says:

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"Go find Trigon's other 'sons', kill them and take their powers. Do that with enough efficiency and secrecy, then you might stand a chance against Trigon after your eventual re-encounter."

"Like nourishing Gu*, become the last one standing through crazy battles and slaughter; only the strongest, cruelest one with the sharpest teeth, can hide in the shadows and give the nourisher a hard bite."

"You get me?"

Mephisto finishes and looks at Merlin, the latter had an ugly expression, but he still nodded:

"I got it, but I won't do it."

"Hahaha, look at this clueless child, he thinks he still has a choice."

Mephisto laughs deeply, then it suddenly reaches out its hand, and places it onto Merlin's arm.

Moments later, with the projection's last power, the space around Merlin is torn apart, and Merlin falls into the teleportation gateway.

"Ahhh!"

As if falling into the abyss, his figure flashes through the broken space.

The Great devil waves at him, bidding him farewell.

"That's not your choice to make!"

"Go, in that city, are lots of your 'brothers', go! Slaughter them all, if you wish to live."

The light of the teleportation gateway dissipates in front of Mephisto, and due to lack of power, the human form Mephisto took scatters like a broken mirror.

Before it disappears, it takes one last look at the unconscious Johnny Blaze on the ground, confidence flashes through its eyes.

"As for you, my knight, become stronger. Soon, you will be put onto the battlefield."

It looks above into the starry night and says:

"Look at it, Hell, so large...so many ambitious bastards, yet there can only be one True King of Hell."

"And that's me!"

As the howling wind blows, Mephisto's projection disappears like sand into the night, the tent at the back of the circus becomes quiet once more.

Besides the Eternal Watcher, nobody knows how many things had happened tonight, the same goes for what these events will lead to in the future.

This is fate. It releases a gust of wind, and eventually, it will receive...

A storm!

---

Johnny Blaze felt as though he had a dream.

He dreamt that he met a strange, sinister-looking old man, who told him that he could cure his father's Lung Cancer if Johnny became his knight.

Johnny remembers, as he was about to take the scroll, a voice stopped him from doing so, yet the scroll still ended up in his hands.

Blood had dyed the contract red, it was too late, it was...

"Johny! Wake up!"

Strong shouting woke Johnny from his sleep. He wakes up, only to find his father leaning against the tent pillar, preparing for his bike stunt.

He looked healthy, his face showed no signs of the sickness he had before.

"Dad, you're cured?"

Johnny asked in excitement, which caused his father to glare at him; Barton Blaze, San Agustin's best stunt rider thought that his son had slept his brains out, and said:

"What're you being hysterical about? I've always been fine, I just went to the checkup and Doctor Lex said that I was tough as a bull. Quit lazying around and get up, we'll be performing together, and in a few more days, I'll be challenging the record of leaping across ten cars."

"This is great, this is great!"

The young man didn't think too much, the return of his healthy father made him think of what occurred last night like a bad dream. Johnny has plans of his own, he has a loved one, and they both plan to leave here and head to the big city. He doesn't wish to spend the rest of his life wandering around like his father.

Even mom who loved him so dearly had to leave him with his brothers and sisters.

That wasn't the life Johnny wanted.

But for someone who made a deal with the devil, how could he have such a happy ending?

How could Mephisto allow his knight to live his life peacefully?

He must let him become tempered through suffering, let him live chaotically in despair, let him suffer all the pain in the world; make him lose everything, and willingly become the devil's rider, and compete under its name, the throne of the True King of Hell.

A few hours later, Barton sits on his bike and receives the cheers of the crowd.

As the best stunt rider in the West, Barton was accustomed to this honor; he waves his hand at the crowd, puts on his helmet, and prepares to do a simple ring of fire stunt as a warm-up.

Johnny stands behind the stage, preparing for his performance.

However, the ring of fire stunt that even a beginner could accomplish; the best stunt rider in the West, Barton Blaze accidentally slipped!

"BOOM"

Johnny holds his helmet, and watches as his father plunges into the flames; the usually obedient motorbike, threw Barton into the flames as if it were alive. The crowd panics and tries to leave, the whole circus was in a mess.

Everyone was trying to save Barton, only Johnny stood there and watched helplessly as his father died in the fire.

That dream reappears in his mind, no, it wasn't a dream!

It was real.

He made a deal with the devil, the devil saved his father, yet toyed with him ruthlessly.

He had been played.

"Bom"

The helmet in Johnny's hand falls onto the ground, he sits there and holds his head as if he had lost all strength.

He killed his father...he should've had a few more years to live, but now he had died, in the most embarrassing way possible.

"A voice...that person! The person who tried to stop me, that voice."

Johnny mumbles to himself, his father's death made him miserable, but it was the feeling that his future was about to be controlled by the devil, and that he was going to become a monster, made him shudder.

He kneels in the dust, trying his best to recall Merlin's figure from last night; to him, the one who had tried to stop him was his final hope.

"I have to find him! I must find him!"

"My God, what have I done."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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