"It's finally over..."
Carter lowered his head slightly and adjusted the brim of his hat. With a relieved expression, he exhaled softly.
"Kuh... kuh... kuh... S-sin... has... been... judged."
Johnny muttered haltingly beside him.
After he spoke, his dazed eyes slowly turned toward Wes.
Wes instinctively avoided his gaze, frowning in irritation.
"Bastard, don't look at me like that!"
"Seems like our wizard friend isn't much of a good guy."
Carter smirked, his tone full of teasing.
"That's right. Wizards are always cruel…"
Wes froze.
There were only three people present.
Where did that fourth voice come from?
His brows furrowed tightly as he raised his wand toward the direction of the voice.
Standing there calmly was an elderly man with snow-white hair. He was dressed immaculately, leaning on a refined cane, his presence exuding both mystery and danger.
"Mephisto!!"
Carter's face changed drastically the moment he saw the man. Without hesitation, he fired two quick shots.
But the bullets passed through Mephisto as if he were made of mist—completely ineffective.
Johnny lunged forward at blinding speed, aiming to punch Mephisto square in the face.
Predictably, Mephisto only gave him a single look—and Johnny froze in place, as if under a petrification spell.
"You wound me. My knight... so rude to me."
Mephisto slowly pulled out a pristine white handkerchief, delicately wiping a nonexistent tear from the corner of his eye.
His lips curled into a smug, disdainful smile.
Wes's heart clenched. He began to slowly retreat, subtly widening the distance between himself and Mephisto.
All the while, his mind raced: When would be the right moment to use Apparition to escape this place?
Johnny and Carter were bound to Mephisto by contracts. In a sense, they were his employees—very special ones.
Wes wanted absolutely no part in anything involving a demon lord from hell.
"And you, little wizard."
Mephisto's deep-set gaze landed on Wes, full of intrigue, as if inspecting some fascinating new toy.
"In the future I foresaw... you weren't there."
Wes's expression changed. He prepared to use his panel to traverse to another world immediately.
But before he could act, Mephisto's ghost-like hand was suddenly resting on his shoulder.
When did he get so close?!
Wes's entire body tensed. He didn't dare move a muscle.
"You've ruined my plans. How do you intend to compensate me?"
Mephisto narrowed his eyes, squeezing out a few theatrical tears.
"My beloved child... cruelly slaughtered by you people. Can you comprehend the depths of my sorrow right now?"
But seeing that none of them reacted, Mephisto lost interest in the performance. He pouted.
"Philistines. You clearly don't understand art. That performance alone deserved an Oscar."
He slowly opened his fingers—and the Contract of San Venganza, as if alive, flew out from Wes's chest and landed neatly in Mephisto's hand.
"Ah... after all these years, I finally reap the rewards."
A triumphant smile spread across his face as he began chanting an eerie incantation.
At once, the Contract of San Venganza shone brightly—so intensely that no one could look directly at it.
Moments later, the blinding light vanished—replaced by three thousand holy souls floating in the air.
As soon as the souls saw Mephisto, they were overcome with terror and tried desperately to flee.
"Now, now... That won't do. You are the children of God, remember? Breaking your promise would be quite... sinful."
Mephisto frowned slightly and opened his right hand. A surge of powerful suction burst forth, trapping the 3,000 souls and preventing any escape.
"Think of something, fast!" Carter shouted, his voice filled with panic.
"If Mephisto absorbs those souls and opens the gates of Hell, it's all over!"
"Why are you looking at me? You think I can handle someone of that level?"
Wes was just as panicked. He was seriously considering fleeing while Mephisto was distracted with the souls, but his instincts screamed that doing so would end in disaster.
Caught in hesitation, Wes didn't know what to do.
That's when someone completely unexpected stepped forward.
The old priest walked steadily toward Mephisto. The raging winds around them seemed to part before him.
"Damn it!" Mephisto's expression twisted in shock the moment he saw him.
"Dormammu... that idiot didn't keep you trapped!?"
A faint phantom surged from the priest's body—gradually clarifying into the form of the Ancient One.
The old priest stood stunned for a moment before breaking into a full sprint toward the church.
"It's been a long time," said the Ancient One in a calm, gentle tone, like the warm breeze of spring or an old friend long missed.
"You're here to banish me?" Mephisto gave a faint smirk.
"This is just one of my avatars. Even if I lose it, it won't hurt me."
Then, acting as if something had just occurred to him, he said smugly,
"Ah, you must be here for this."
He waved the Contract of San Venganza in his hand like a prize.
"But this contract was signed willingly. I'm merely here to fulfill a long-overdue promise. Not even you can deny its validity."
The Ancient One nodded, her expression serene.
"You're right."
"Then why are you here? Don't tell me you're just here to watch me open the gates of Hell…"
A trace of unease crept into Mephisto's voice.
The Ancient One's hand suddenly produced a spear—an ancient, even weathered-looking weapon.
But on the tip of the spear was blood—the blood of Jesus.
Mephisto's face turned ashen.
"The Spear of Longinus?! You joined forces with him?!"
"Just a temporary alliance," the Ancient One replied casually with a shrug.
"I want stability on Earth. He wants those 3,000 souls. You know... I hit him a bit too hard last time. Took quite the losses—He's just replenishing his forces."
"Damn it!!"
"Shameless!!"
"How could he do this? He's worse than me!"
Mephisto was practically foaming at the mouth.
With no further words, the Spear of Longinus pierced straight into the Contract of San Venganza.
Under the divine power of the spear, the contract slowly turned to ash.
Mephisto's face went cold, the smugness gone. He looked like an entirely different being.
"Tch. Whatever. Just one piece in a much larger game."
The Ancient One said nothing. She stood silently, still and calm.
Mephisto slowly removed his hat and gave a shallow, mocking bow.
"Until we meet again... Sorcerer Supreme."
With that, his body began to fade away. At the very last moment, he cast one final glance at Wes.
Then, a magnificent door appeared in the sky, bathed in radiant light. Angels surrounded it, softly singing sacred hymns.
With a sweep of her sleeve, the Ancient One caused the heavenly door and its host of angels to vanish.
The 3,000 holy souls bowed deeply to her in thanks, then gathered together, transforming into a stream of light that shot upward into the heavens.
All that remained behind was a crystal orb, about the size of a fist, floating silently in midair.