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Despite Dante's repeated attempts to coax the story out of the Spirit, she refused to share anything about her past. It wasn't out of stubbornness or pride. Mephisto had stripped her form, transformed her into a Spirit of Vengeance, and even took her right to speak freely about her downfall.
He looked ahead at the Ancient One, who was leading them deeper into the hidden corridors of the monastery. "You shouldn't be bound like her."
The Ancient One slowed her steps but didn't turn around or speak.
He stopped following her. "Death, bring all my lovers here. I'm taking a year-long vacation in another universe."
In the blink of an eye, Death materialized at his side. Her presence was completely concealed from the universe as always.
The Ancient One finally turned around and stared at Death without blinking. Her usually unreadable face showed a look of awe. "Mistress of the Night… She who reaps lives… Lady Death herself."
Death didn't spare the Ancient One a glance as if the Sorcerer Supreme was beneath her notice. Her eyes stayed on him, filled with affection. "As you wish, my beloved. Which universe would you like to visit?"
He rubbed his chin. "Somewhere I can relax. We can have a vote—"
A burst of bright, golden light flooded the corridor as a stepping disc ripped open a portal. Illyana Rasputin with her Soulsword in hand like she was making a stage entrance.
"From Limbo I have emerged!"
Dante pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes, it really felt like there was an unknown force compelling everyone to act as dramatic as they possibly could. "Illya, what are you doing here?"
She tilted her head in confusion, her blonde bangs swaying to cover a side of her eye. "I left traces of Soulsword's aura on you. I always know where you are."
He blinked at the absurd confession. "When did you even—never mind. Why are you tracking me?"
She crossed her arms, giving him a dissatisfied frown. "You keep dodging me like a soaped eel. I know you're busy. But come on. It's rude to ghost your lover's sister like this."
"I was going to see you after this." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Why did you just say 'lover's sister'? Piotr and I are friends. I don't know about Piotr, but I'm a straight guy."
"What? I meant Silvija," Illyana said, rolling her eyes. "Just because we were born in different corners of Europe doesn't mean I can't consider her a sister."
To be frank, Silvija had treated Piotr with care, giving him hope at the time where he had none. Illyana would soon gain massive wealth, thanks to Silvija selling the gold they had secured from Belasco's vault. Illyana had both practical and emotional reasons to be grateful toward Silvija.
"Huh?" She finally noticed the other people in the corridor. "Hey, are you Sorcerer Supreme? I met your counterpart in another universe. He mentored me for two weeks."
The Ancient One's expression softened slightly.
Illyana stowed her Soulsword into a pocket dimension. "Then the old crony croaked away."
The softness vanished from the Ancient One's face.
Illyana turned toward the Spirit with a curious look in her eyes. "If it isn't a Spirit of Vengeance. Why does it look sad and miserable?"
"..."
Finally, she acknowledged Death with a friendly smile. "Could you be MistressDeath? I can see why everyone praises your beauty. Gosh, you can turn a straight woman lesbian."
"I'm nothing special," Death confirmed in a pleasant tone. "Companion, shall I proceed with the summoning?"
Dante nodded. "Everyone finished their training. We can leave—"
"Wait." The word came out like a desperate plea. She drew in a breath to recover her composure. "Ask about anything you wish to know. I will answer you to the best of my ability."
He gazed at the Ancient One's expression. She seemed sincere enough. It wasn't like he would leave the universe for such a small thing.
Death gave a knowing smile before dissolving into shadows. Her job of enforcing his threat was done.
Illyana looked between them all, thoroughly confused. "Okay, what the hell is going on here?"
Dante ignored her for the moment, keeping his focus on the Ancient One. "You could've agreed earlier. Because you know damn well I'll be the one to clean this mess later."
Sharing information now would make his work a lot easier.
The Sorcerers were powerful, but they couldn't contain the extraordinary threat posed by Hell-Lords. Even Dante couldn't fight a Hell-Lord in their own domain, at least not at his current power level.
"I apologize," the Ancient One said with a serious expression. "The war against the Hell-Lords cost us more than you can imagine. I avoid speaking of them unless absolutely necessary... their names carry power. Every invocation strengthens them, which in turn weakens the barriers between realms."
"Go over the events without saying their names."
The Ancient One glanced uneasily at the Demoness. She looked like she didn't want her history to be told, but she didn't have the power to stop either of them. "There was a war… a war fought between Earth and Hell for the Darkhold."
Dante frowned. Considering Hell-Lords were involved, it had to be the comics version of the Darkhold. This complicated things. In the comics, the Darkhold was connected to Elder God Chthon and many powerful entities. If any of them came to Earth, he might not be able to stop them.
A certain reality-warping sorceress was also closely linked with the Darkhold and Chthon.
'Is she Magneto's daughter in this timeline?'
He would hear about her true origins soon enough, since he was planning to grab the old man Erik for a serious chat very soon. His promise with Emma wouldn't be fulfilled without subordinating Magneto, after all.
"It began in the harsh winter of 1503," the Ancient One whispered, starting the tale from the beginning. "A monastery hidden deep within the Carpathian Mountains uncovered a single page buried beneath its catacombs."
The Spirit drifted around, looking agitated as the Ancient One continued, "It wasn't transcriptions that the Vatican had been holding onto. This was a page from the original Darkhold, made from the flesh of an Elder God. At first, we foolishly believed it was merely an isolated fragment. We sealed it immediately on our grounds… But to our dismay, another page was discovered beneath an abandoned cathedral in Prague. Then another was found within an ancient tomb. More and more pages began to surface."
He crossed his arms. "This concentration of chaos magic brought the demons' attention."
"Indeed." The Ancient One's tone grew heavier. "The pages acted as a blazing beacon for the Hell-Lords."
The Ancient One gestured toward a blank wall. The stone parted, revealing a grand projection of the cosmos. Within it was a blue sphere, surrounded by a glowing intricate net of golden energy. Looking closer, he saw layers upon layers of golden sigils, runes, and intricate mandalas.
"This is a representation of the barrier separating Earth from the darker realms. Agamotto left this as a last gift to humanity before he ascended to join the Bright Lady as a mystic principality (entities sorcerers invoke to cast spells)." She looked up at the intricate barrier. "It shields us from invasions that we aren't ready to face."
"How did Hell-Lords get through?" Illyana asked. "Did they invade through dreams and astral planes?"
By this time, even Illyana was absorbed into the tale.
"Some entered the dreams of vulnerable sorcerers, yes. But most Hell-Lords corrupted wildlife, twisting ordinary creatures into demonic beasts."
"They shouldn't be a problem for you."
The Ancient One's face hardened. "The Vatican alone could have dealt with the beasts, but a certain Hell-Lord had many pawns on Earth."
He was certain this Hell-Lord was Mephisto. Other Hell-Lords weren't interested in Earth as much as Mephisto.
"A hundred-member druid sorcerer cult blindly followed his lead. The legendary sorceress Morgan Le Fay was bound to him. But the most damning thing was the Lord of Vampires and his underlings siding with him. All of them made for a terrifying force, the likes of which we were not ready to face."
Dante raised an eyebrow. "It's hard to picture Dracula as someone's lapdog."
"The Lord of Vampires had his own agenda. He believed the Darkhold to be his rightful inheritance. The Darkhold had been used to create Varnae, the first Vampire. Dracula planned on betraying the Hell-Lord."
Illyana hummed. "Vampires are still around."
"Yes," the Ancient One continued. "Within months, chaos engulfed Europe. Demonic beasts ravaged entire villages. Vampire armies consumed cities under the cover of night. Morgan Le Fay alone slaughtered hundreds."
The Masters of the Mystic Arts were forced into an alliance with the Vatican and their holy army of knights. Even with their combined might, they simply couldn't make a lasting difference against Mephisto's forces.
"We were losing lives like cattles," the Ancient One's eyes showed the clear weight of the war. She sighed and turned to the quiet Spirit of Vengeance. "It was then that an unexpected help showed up. A Hell-Lord approached us in the form of a human sorceress."
"A Hell-Lord." Dante narrowed his eyes. "Using reincarnation to breach Agamotto's barrier might be your smartest idea."
"..."
The Ancient One looked at the Spirit for a moment before continuing, "She boldly offered us an alliance to aid us against Hell's forces."
"And you trusted her?"
"Trust was a luxury at that point." The Ancient One turned her back, looking at the beautiful barrier. "It was between 'hand the Darkhold pages to a Hell-Lord and let him dominate everything'… or 'die and let the same thing happen.'"
"Why would a Hell-Lord help you?" Illyana asked. "Shouldn't it just kill you all and take the Darkhold?"
"This female Hell-Lord hated the male Hell-Lord." The Ancient One had to get creative to get her points across. "She wanted to ruin the male Hell-Lord's plans first, then claim the Darkhold."
Dante looked toward the Spirit, who floated there in silence. It was near impossible to know her identity since the Spirit could've been a male Hell-Lord reincarnated in a female human's body. Changing genders was as simple as snapping fingers for these powerful demons.
"How strong was she?"
"As a human, she couldn't bring out her true might, yet she turned the tide of the war. Entire armies of demon beasts were reduced to ash. Vampire legions were ripped to shreds. She fought Morgan Le Fay and Dracula alone. Morgan Le Fay was forced to retreat. Dracula… he only recently recovered from his injuries."
For the first time since meeting her, he noted a hint of respect in the Ancient One's voice. Even the Sorcerer Supreme had to acknowledge the strength of a Hell-Lord.
Illyana tilted her head. "How did she end up like this?"
The Ancient One continued, "Strength alone can't win a war—we learned this the hard way. He had pushed spies into our ranks. While we were fighting for our lives, he seized the pages."
Dante didn't expect them to still lose with a Hell-Lord on their side. Then again, it showed how much of a cunning bastard Mephisto really was.
"Then?"
The Ancient One turned back and looked at the Spirit. "She knew his schemes from the beginning and waited for the completion of Darkhold. Just when he started celebrating, she made her move and killed his followers, taking the pages for herself. We arrived in time to see her complete the Darkhold under a crimson moon."
The Spirit's flames roared violently. "I was moments away from making it mine."
"Who got in your way?"
"I don't fucking know. The book fucking exploded in my face," the Spirit growled. "$@!&*%!"
The string of curses in Hell's language left Illyana and Dante speechless. They both knew the language well enough to understand the violent curses being hurled at Mephisto. Honestly, the Demoness had every reason to be pissed. It was like winning a lottery only for the prize money to blow up in your face.
The Ancient One raised a hand. The magic circles around her wrist twisted and turned like a complex lock. A small portal opened right before her, from which a small glass flew out. Inside floated a radiant red feather, still burning with ethereal fire.
"The explosion left this behind."
His eyes gleamed.
'Phoenix feather.'
Which meant the original Darkhold was likely in the possession of Phoenix Force. An infinitely safer outcome than the Darkhold ending up in anyone's hands. The Phoenix Force didn't need the Darkhold's powers since she could achieve the same result using her own strength.
'Why would she intervene?'
The Darkhold in the Demoness' possession would have changed the universe. It went against Phoenix Force's fundamental logic to stop the change.
'Well, I'll know when she joins Jean.'
He stepped forward and gently took the orb from her hand. "What happened to our lovely Spirit after that?"
The Ancient One gave him a blank stare. Still, she didn't try to take the feather back. If she was acting like this, it meant she knew the feather would find a use in his hand.
"So," she spoke. "The female Hell-Lord had exhausted nearly all her power at this point. With the Darkhold gone, he was not letting her go away unpunished."
The Spirit roared again. "@$@!&*%!"
"He paid a great price to descend through Morgan Le Fay as a vessel. He stripped away her mortal form," the Ancient One said, eyes glazed over with the recollections. "He twisted her immortal soul and remade her into a Spirit of Vengeance, ensuring she wouldn't find peace for centuries."
All three of them looked at the flaming figure with pity in their eyes.
"$!% %&!*@!"
The Spirit let out one more furious burst of profanity before vanishing in a puff of flames.
Illyana burst into laughter. "She got played by a higher entity."
"Hell-Lord or not, everyone has their stupid moments. Anyway, Illya. Is your prophecy connected to the Darkhold?"
The question put an end to her joy. "Not sure if it's Darkhold, but I had visions of demon invasions. We were fighting side by side. It seemed fun not gonna lie."
They both looked at the Ancient One and the barrier, which had to be removed for a Hell invasion to happen. Who would be capable of that?
The Ancient One slowly shook her head. "I cannot see that far."
Either someone messed with her ability to see into the future or she was certainly going to die before the demon invasion.
Illyana faced him again. "I had another vision… of an Earth without a single living being. Someone or something had wiped us all out. I'll be honest with you, that scared the fuck out of me."
He put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her a little closer. "Hey. No one's wiping us out while I'm around. Big bro's got this."
A mischievous glint surfaced in her eyes. "Big bro? Aren't I older than you?"
"Biologically, yeah, you're older. Legally, I'm older. Mentally… I've lived through a few lifetimes at this point. Death can confirm that."
Her eyes widened in fake surprise. "Big bro."
"..."
"Big bro, I need help with something, big bro."
"You didn't have to say it twice," he groaned. "What do you need?"
Illyana grinned for a moment before her expression turned more serious. She looked a bit uncertain, fiddling with the edge of her cape. "I'll see if I can get some more visions through scrying. Anything will be helpful at this stage."
She was going to make a request, but something held her back. Maybe she wasn't ready to have that talk with him yet.
He patted her shoulder. "Great. Big bro also needs a favor."
He told her about Natasha's circumstances and how he needed assistance with freeing Widows.
Illyana nodded. "I can't say no to rescuing a fellow Russian. Just let me fight her at full strength later."
"Sure. Thanks—"
She stepped on his boot, which made him raise his eyebrows. The severe expression on her face was something he had never seen on her. "We're like family. Don't ever use that word with me."
"Alright. Alright. No need to ruin my shoe. I can't ask my girlfriend for another pair."
She kept her foot planted for another second before stepping back and crossing her arms. "Stop smiling like a fool. You remind me of my stupid brother."
He chuckled. "Demons, mutant, or aliens, we'll fuck them up together. Right?"
She might be stupid at times, but her determination to see things through was undeniable.
She grinned. "I'll chop their penises. That should keep them from invading my world."
He turned away with a stiff smile, realizing this girl was completely serious about using her Soulsword to chop anyone's genitals.
"Ahem. Ancient One, let me rob your vault."