"You'd sacrifice a saint's life just to catch me? The knight was right—you're a downright villain."
Carter Sley felt the knightly power within him fading, his life nearing its end. With only enough strength for one final transformation, he sought someone worthy to inherit the Saint Vanganza Contract. But now, all hope was lost, and despair consumed him.
"Don't say that. I've never let a demon get the better of me—unlike you."
Constantine sat outside the magic circle, eyeing Carter's skeletal form with a hint of boredom. He recalled the thrill of past deals, the demons' eager faces at the signing, their twisted expressions of fleeting joy. By mid-contract, their faces turned numb. When the deal was done, despair took over, then rage, until they slunk back to Hell, defeated. That cycle of emotions gave Constantine a sense of purpose, a twisted happiness.
But Carter had skipped straight to the end, making this dull.
"Those who sign contracts with demons never meet a good end!" Carter declared, his tone resolute as his knightly power dissolved.
Truth be told, the Saint Vanganza Contract held little value for Mephisto in Hell. A being powerful enough to rival Galactus wouldn't grow invincible over a mere thousand souls—it sounded like a bad joke.
"You think Mephisto cares about a thousand souls? He can have as many as he wants in Hell," Constantine said, sketching on the floor with a marker. "You thought hiding would outsmart Mephisto's pursuit? That's among the most ignorant things I've heard—barely better than injecting holy water to exorcise demons. About as clever as saying a demon's kill isn't a demon's fault."
Constantine muttered as he nearly finished the magic circle. "Come on, Mephisto, let's make another deal—no contract needed."
He pressed his hand onto the freshly drawn array, chanting. Occultism was a serious discipline; a single mistake in summoning—mispronounced incantations, an imperfect circle—could provoke a demon's wrath. But with familiar demons, Constantine could skip formalities. Some attacked regardless of perfection; others, like Mephisto, always showed up for a chat.
"Ah, John, you're something else. No wonder you're the one who bore Satan's child. You've caught the knight I've been after," Mephisto's figure materialized in the cellar, clearly pleased to see Carter trapped.
"So, you here to demand Satan pay child support? Tell me, this avatar of yours wants the Saint Vanganza Contract to stop being an avatar, right?" Constantine added a few strokes to the array, extinguishing his cigarette in its center. "Hell's cut off from Earth—perfect chance for you."
Ignoring Mephisto's darkening expression, Constantine continued, "Cure my cancer, and Carter's yours."
"I—"
"Hesitate, and Carter dies. Per the contract, he'll return to you in Hell. You know no one escapes a contract's power when it's fulfilled." Constantine didn't look up, scribbling with his cigarette butt.
Carter's knightly power melted under Angel's influence, half his skull reverting to a human face, his hellfire-wreathed shovel returning to normal.
Mephisto fell silent, then pressed a hand to Constantine's chest. His aged face withered further. "Feels good—your fiery hand on my burning heart. Oh!" Constantine let out a theatrical moan, stepping back.
In moments, his cancer was gone. Mephisto stepped into the completed array, trapped by its magic, unable to contact Hell.
Constantine linked the two arrays with his marker, channeling Angel's power toward Mephisto's avatar. "Now, for the second deal: your freedom for Carter's soul. Just a simple soul-transfer contract."
He tossed a crumpled A4 sheet and the marker to Mephisto, confined in a narrow cylindrical space. Constantine never let demons get the upper hand.
Carter, who'd expected to burn in Hell's flames for millennia, stared in shock. "Why trust your ally to stay with me?"
Constantine knew Carter's greedy past and lack of nobility. "Your greed drove you to the Saint Vanganza Contract, thinking Mephisto would rewrite it. You never considered your lifespan's insignificance compared to his. And it's just this avatar that wants the contract."
He lit a new cigarette, poking Mephisto's face to test if a demon's heat could ignite it. "Human lives are nothing to me, even as an avatar. But can you accept that girl being trapped here too?" Mephisto's aged face soured as Constantine jabbed the cigarette into his forehead, clinging to his infernal dignity.
"Oh, heavens! First time hearing my name, pal?" Constantine puffed the lit cigarette, spreading his arms dramatically. Leaning close, he locked eyes with Mephisto through the array. "Think I care about allies? That's flattering. I'm more of a villain than you know, old friend."
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
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