The Holy Son in Marvel

The sudden rustling in the nearby bushes put Solomon on high alert. He pointed his longsword toward the sound, ready to unleash the power of Excalibur. Jones, the stray dog, was also startled, but after the initial shock, he began wagging his tail furiously. The rustling drew closer, and Coulson aimed his gun at the bushes as well.

"Agent Romanoff?" Coulson's eyes widened as someone stepped out of the bushes. Quickly regaining his composure, he released his gun's safety, finger ready on the trigger. "Who are you!"

"Me? I'm not Agent Romanoff." The Natasha emerging from the bushes moved strangely, her stance was more rigid than usual. She seemed startled by Coulson's sudden questioning, but upon seeing Solomon, she yelled, "Solomon, get away from him—he's a fake!"

Now there were two Natashas: one lying on the ground and one with a peculiar demeanor. The recently arrived Natasha's words were unsettling. Solomon quickly positioned himself away from both of them, not allowing his back to face either Coulson or the standing Natasha. He didn't know which one, if either, was Nyarlathotep, but the scene was suspicious enough that he prioritized his own safety.

Jones seemed equally confused, sniffing the Natasha on the ground before glancing at the one who'd just arrived, letting out a puzzled whine. It was clear this was yet another trick from Nyarlathotep, designed to stall Solomon and keep him tied up in uncertainty. No wonder the dark forest was eerily devoid of monsters tonight; Nyarlathotep must have kept them away to avoid spoiling his show for Solomon.

"Jones, come to me." Solomon called the stray dog to his side. Jones immediately trotted over and took up a defensive stance beside him, growling at the two figures before them. Coulson kept his gun trained on the newcomer, unwavering.

Solomon addressed the second Natasha. "Who are you?"

"I'm Phillip Coulson," she replied, "and I don't know why I'm here. When I woke up, I found myself in this body. I was at the stone tower before…"

"I'm the real Phillip Coulson!" Coulson didn't lower his gun. "This is a trick!"

Although the second Natasha's explanation sounded strange, Solomon sensed a sliver of truth. Nyarlathotep was fully capable of such bizarre soul manipulations, placing one person's soul into another's body.

The mage narrowed his eyes. If this Natasha was telling the truth, then Coulson's soul had been transferred to her body, raising the question of who occupied Coulson's body. Where was Natasha's soul? And what was the nature of the Natasha lying on the ground?

But if this Natasha was lying, the situation became simpler. The real Natasha was likely the one on the ground, and the Coulson by his side was the real one. In that case, the second Natasha was the imposter, her appearance meant only to delay him.

After a moment's calculation, Solomon pointed his sword at Coulson, and Jones barked loudly at him. Solomon reasoned that Nyarlathotep, who thrived on deception and chaos, would have layered the situation with as much complexity as possible, weaving an intricate web of doubt.

Solomon had chosen to approach the problem by opting for the most convoluted scenario—a decision he felt certain Nyarlathotep would have anticipated. The god loved to toy with his opponents, stringing together mysteries like a tangled ball of yarn, leaving them trapped in the riddles he crafted. It was precisely this tendency of Nyarlathotep's that gave Solomon his answer: he would solve this Gordian Knot with the simplest of approaches—cutting through it.

Jones bared his teeth, ready to pounce, while Coulson aimed his gun directly at Solomon. "Congratulations, you've advanced to the next level." The entity in Coulson's form shed its disguise, revealing its true form—a man entirely cloaked in black, from his skin, teeth, eyes, and hair, to his suit. Only under the bright moonlight was he visible; otherwise, his presence was nearly imperceptible. This was Nyarlathotep's incarnation, the Black Man, the Master of the Witch's Sabbath.

Smiling, he spoke slowly, "I'll give you a little hint—take a closer look at the person lying on the ground."

Solomon maintained his guard but glanced at the figure on the ground. It wasn't Natasha; it was Coulson's body. Nyarlathotep hadn't inhabited Coulson's body—he'd only assumed Coulson's appearance. Natasha hadn't escaped from her attackers at the inn either; she had been left here in the forest, her body protected from harm by the absence of Nyarlathotep's monstrous minions, kept away to ensure the riddle remained intact.

Solomon stepped forward, raising his sword, while Jones prepared to lunge. But Nyarlathotep calmly raised a finger, signaling them to wait. "Hold on, darling," he said in a light, amused tone, as if the situation was entirely under his control. "Aren't you curious where that woman's soul has gone? I know how much you care for your companions, Solomon. If you didn't, you wouldn't have followed me into the forest. Don't you want her soul back, Solomon Damonet?"

"Stay calm, Solomon," said Coulson's voice from Natasha's body, trying to dissuade him. "We can find another way. Deep breaths—stay calm."

"No." Solomon exhaled, steeling himself, and his expression became resolute, even cold. He took another step forward, tightening his grip on his sword. Hundreds of timelines all hinted at a single truth—that he could very well die here. "If I can kill you, it'll be worth the sacrifice, even if it includes myself."

"Tsk, so cold-hearted." Nyarlathotep dodged his swing and fired a gun, but the bullet passed through a silver mist as Solomon appeared behind him, striking once more. Nyarlathotep loathed using supernatural abilities in human form unless necessary, and to maintain the facade of this scene, he had refrained from summoning monsters. Now, he was forced to evade Solomon's strikes, still attempting to distract him with words. Yet, though Nyarlathotep escaped Solomon's sword, he couldn't avoid Jones.

The dog clamped down on his leg, its teeth piercing his darkened flesh. Nyarlathotep let out a painful cry. "You—you actually!" he shouted, glaring at the dog, which refused to let go.

Solomon wasted no time; he leapt forward, swinging Excalibur down with all his strength. Nyarlathotep chanted an incantation, but Solomon's sword still hammered down like a sledgehammer, shattering his shoulder blade. Nyarlathotep fell forward, cursing—but his curses were aimed at Jones, not Solomon.

"You treacherous dog!" Nyarlathotep spat, "I knew it—I knew it! I knew you'd betray me!"

Seeing Solomon's assault, Coulson picked up a stone and staggered toward them, but before he could reach them, he fell to his knees, choking and coughing up salty seawater. Nyarlathotep's "Abyssal Breath" spell had filled his lungs with ocean water. And the god's attack didn't end there; he exhaled a cloud of noxious gas, forcing Solomon and Coulson to cover their noses and retreat, watching helplessly as the mist enveloped both Nyarlathotep and Jones.

But amidst the toxic fumes, Nyarlathotep's furious curses continued, his voice lifting as Jones dragged him out of the rising gas cloud. Solomon saw the dark god clawing at anything he could reach, frantically struggling, but Jones had him firmly by the leg, dragging him back, leaving a trail in the dry leaves until Nyarlathotep lay before Solomon once again.

"You betrayed me!" Nyarlathotep only repeated, fury unabated. Solomon, seeing his chance, reversed his grip on his sword and thrust it downward, piercing flesh, muscle, and spine, pinning the god to the ground. But Nyarlathotep seemed unfazed; his rage abruptly dissipated, replaced by a manic laugh.

"Yes, I enjoyed quite the show, though I was the one acting. How dreadful—why couldn't I have been the one watching instead?" he murmured, face half-buried in leaves. His voice grew muffled and dark. "Either way, I am still the winner, in a way. Until next time, Solomon Damonet. You've been an excellent playmate."

"No, don't even think about it."

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]