Marvel Magic Case Files.

Chapter 76 Interfering with the Past

"I can only express my regret," Bader said calmly, though no one knew what he was regretting. Was it for Luca, who was about to die, or for his father, who had been dead for twenty years?

Although the panicked Luca couldn't see what was grabbing his limbs, Bayonetta and Salomon saw clearly that they were four seemingly insignificant angels. Bayonetta fired four shots, each bullet piercing the angels' skulls with deadly precision. The reporter fell, but Badr seemed to value his promise highly; he waved his hand again, and a golden current bound Luca, preparing to throw him out the window.

Bayonetta lunged forward, but couldn't keep up with Luca's speed. The reporter crashed through several pillars and a stained-glass window, flying backward out of the spherical room with a horrifying scream. Salomon didn't look back; the tuft of down in his hand had vanished. Phoenix also quickly flew out of the broken window—if Luca hadn't died, he would have had to work for Salomon to pay off his debts. Salomon loved unfair terms, but only if he was the client.

Salomon's reluctance to tear his attention away from Baldr wasn't solely due to Ceresa's presence in his arms; it was also because the magic Baldr had previously displayed evoked a profound sense of familiarity within him. There are many ways to make a flower bloom, whether by channeling positive energy or the elements of nature. Baldr, possessing angelic powers, was naturally a master of positive energy magic. However, on that small flower, Salomon sensed nothing of the sort—the power of time. Salomon had handled the Eye of Agamotto several times; the power of the Time Stone was familiar to him. Yet, at that very moment, Baldr had used the power of time.

This is highly illogical. It's not that only the Time Stone possesses the power of time; the Time Stone merely influences the time of all objects, controlling entropy increase and decrease. If sages with angelic powers can control time, then the witches, who have always been their counterparts, should also be able to. Even narrowing the scope to the Eye of the World, Bayonetta has never demonstrated the ability to control time. Bayonetta's commonly used Witch Time technique merely enhances the senses and lengthens the recipient's perception of time; it doesn't constitute control over time.

Now Salomon finally understood why the Sorcerer Supreme was so cautious with Baldr. No spellcaster capable of manipulating time is to be trifled with, and Salomon currently possessed almost no spells that could interfere with time.

After seeing Phoenix fly away, Bayonetta felt a little relieved. She turned around solemnly, standing on the red woolen steps, looking at her nominal father.

"Celessa, your journey ends here," Baldr said, his tone still nonchalant. "If destiny isn't fulfilled soon, this tragedy will continue to repeat itself. Speaking of tragedy, I think you've seen Joan of Arc, haven't you? Although she sealed you away, keeping you safe from these troubles, she played a significant role after falling into our hands."

"Although she was initially very disobedient, which required some mental reformation, her tragic end, as I predicted, was precisely the opportunity that brought you before me." Badr seemed intent on provoking Bayonetta, constantly reopening old wounds and revealing the truth about Joan of Arc's enmity with her. Badr said, "The moment of awakening your left eye will soon arrive. Fear not, my dear Ceresia."

"I don't understand," she said. "Why summon my younger self here? Why do something so complicated?"

"You've lost all your memories. In order for you to awaken as the 'Left Eye,' you must regain your past power, experience, and love." Badr carried the little girl toward Bayonetta, not even glancing at Salomon standing to the side.

The sorcerer was naturally not angry about this; he was pondering a more difficult problem.

He initially believed Ceressa was Bayonetta's half-sister, but after discovering the power of time, Ceressa's identity became shrouded in mystery. Baldr, however, never concealed his use of the name Bayonetta, whether calling her Ceressa or Bayonetta. It was Joan of Arc's words to Bayonetta, and the way she addressed her, that led Bayonetta to realize the little girl's identity first.

Seresa is Bayonetta, and Bayonetta is Seresa. This little girl was brought back from five hundred years ago by the Lumen Sage Baldr using time magic; she is Bayonetta as a child.

Salomon couldn't understand Baldr's purpose at all, because interfering with the past couldn't change the present; it could only create a parallel world. The existence of parallel worlds proved that time doesn't always move in a straight line. Just like different branches extending from a tree trunk, the variables created by interfering with the past are like a fresh green bud on that branch. Only when this bud grows into a new branch and the changed variables have an effect will people discover that branches from the same origin have grown different flowers.

Salomon suddenly realized another possibility: parallel worlds extending from one world could interfere with each other! What Baldr had done was essentially transplanting a bud into the trunk of a tree, though this wasn't his ultimate goal, but rather a means to interfere with Bayonetta's current situation. This conjecture made his heart pound—it was a massive subject, and the curiosity in his soul even made his skull itch, as if delicate tentacles had sprouted from his brain, constantly caressing his cerebral gray matter. Salomon longed to immediately leap forward and have an academic discussion with the Lumen Sage Baldr.

If the Sorcerer Supreme followed the Eternal Incarnation, the Holy Spirit, seeking the ultimate in magic through immortality, then Baldr's act of bringing the young Bayonetta back to the present showed Salomon another path—another path to explore magic forever without becoming a lich. However, in the room, apart from Salomon, the other two were not in the mood to discuss these things. Soon, Salomon refocused his attention on Baldr and prepared a spell that was guaranteed to temporarily subdue the sage—there is no such thing as the most powerful spell, only the most suitable one; even low-level spells can be surprisingly effective.

Bayonetta's emotions were successfully ignited by the Lumen Sage Baldr, and she said with immense resentment, "You not only messed up the world, but you also killed Mother. And you still dare to say... love!"

"I didn't kill Rosa. It was the distortion of the world that separated us. It was the angels, eager to resurrect the Supreme God, who killed her. There was nothing I could do." Hearing Bayonetta mention her wife, Baldr placed a hand on his heart and slowly approached her. "The angels fought you, pushed you to the brink, to become sacrifices to enhance your power. Joan of Arc was the final polishing process, bringing your power to its peak. And to achieve this, your memories needed to be awakened. She did a truly excellent job; the fact that you're standing here today is proof of that."

"You're insane." Bayonetta pointed the pistol at Badr, completely disregarding the little girl in the sage's arms, her past self.

"I don't think so," Badr said softly in a deep, magnetic voice. "It's not me who's gone mad, it's the world. Can you really shoot me? Are you planning to shoot your father? My dear daughter, Serena…"

"Why not?" Bayonetta narrowed her eyes, tilted her head slightly, and pulled the trigger without hesitation. At the same time, Salomon released the spell he had prepared.

Tasha's Maniacal Laughter!

Hmph, here comes the essential spell. If you have a bard teammate, you can have them learn this spell, provided they can tell jokes. See you in Chapter Two later.

(End of this chapter)