"We've discovered several locations with traces of the Hell Lord's ritual formations and sacrificial remains. Unfortunately, we're always a step behind. This Hell Lord seems to be nearing the completion of his preparations..." Constantine explained as Robert inquired about their progress.
"It's possible that a Hell Lord might fully manifest on Earth soon. We still have no idea about this Hell Lord's identity or capabilities. Should you contact Superman, just in case something unexpected happens?" Constantine suggested, his concern evident.
"We'll contact Superman if things get out of hand. I'm not in the habit of calling him every time we hit a snag," Robert replied calmly. "So, has the Hell Lord's minion found a suitable host on Earth? Hosting a Hell Lord must require an exceptional vessel."
"I don't know much about the host, but Hellboy seems quite concerned about this person. It seems they know each other," Constantine said, frowning as he thought. "The host already has a trace of demonic aura, but it differs from the usual demonic essence. I suspect they might be a half-demon, half-human hybrid."
"A hybrid of human and demon, huh?" Robert mused. He was familiar with hybrids, having encountered notable ones in other realms, like the powerful half-Saiyan hybrids in the Dragon Ball universe, crucial to the survival of the Saiyan race.
In this world, hybrids weren't uncommon either. Besides the half-god Diana, the Shadowhunters were another example, being hybrids of angels and humans. Though their blending was more mystical, it was undeniable that the Shadowhunters carried angelic blood.
Then there was Valentine, who sought to transform into a demon-lord hybrid. Initially a mix of angel and human, he later became a blend of demon, angel, and human due to angelic manipulation—Mephisto had a hidden hand in this, though Robert hadn't noticed Mephisto's involvement at the time.
Now, with Constantine mentioning another demon-human hybrid, Robert couldn't be sure if this was a demonic plot or something akin to the engineered line of the Shadowhunters. Or maybe it was simply a case of a demon and a human conceiving a child together.
Ultimately, the method of this hybrid's creation was less important. Given that this hybrid was set to become a Hell Lord's host, their fate was sealed, much like Al Simmons and Richard Parker before them...
On the other side, Hellboy, unaware of Robert and Constantine's covert surveillance, was anxiously pursuing Seldar, desperate to find and stop him.
Constantine's speculation was correct; the human host indeed had a connection with Hellboy. Hellboy was determined to save the host, a person named Cayley, even if he didn't fully understand the consequences of becoming a Hell Lord's vessel.
Hellboy knew Cayley's life was in grave danger. Cayley was the last person Hellboy knew to be alive after Seldar's actions, and he felt responsible for failing to stop Seldar earlier, leading to this tragedy.
The Spider incident had indirectly contributed to the current predicament. The military faction associated with Hellboy had become interested in Spider-People due to their emergence and began their own research.
Despite having research on Hellboy and demonic entities, these factions were eager to gain more supernatural power, believing it would strengthen their influence and control, providing them greater power and benefits.
However, this faction soon faced setbacks as Clark, Robert, and Kara intervened to rescue the Spider-People. Initially, the military didn't send their top agents, but Robert's transformed orc-like appearance piqued their interest.
Consequently, they deployed Cayley and other successful demon-experiment subjects to confront Robert. They saw Robert not as a Saiyan but as an unknown beast-man, boosting their confidence.
Robert easily turned one of these demon experiments into a mist of blood, and Cayley, along with others, faced a grimmer fate. They encountered Seldar before they could even reach Robert.
Against Robert, these demon subjects stood no chance. Similarly, they were powerless before Seldar, a Hell Lord.
The emergence of these demon subjects facilitated Seldar's plans, allowing him to expedite his preparations using them as resources. Through blood transfusion techniques, Seldar further empowered Cayley, enabling him to serve as a perfect host for a Hell Lord.
The price for this was the lives of all captured demon subjects, who were consumed to fuel Cayley's transformation into a suitable vessel for the Hell Lord.
Originally, despite their demonic powers, these subjects remained human at heart, showing loyalty to the military, even more than Hellboy. However, being forced to consume his comrades transformed Cayley irrevocably into a demon, awakening his demonic blood completely. He became a perfect host for a Hell Lord on Earth, unaffected by the Earth's dimensional limitations.
The time for Cayley's release from this torment was near. Once the Hell Lord descended, Cayley's consciousness would be obliterated, especially after his transformation into a demon, leaving him unable to resist the Hell Lord's overwhelming presence.
Outside a dilapidated church, Hellboy appeared. Seldar had chosen this location, perhaps finding it ironically fitting or enjoying the contrast of summoning a Hell Lord in a place of worship. He even cleaned the cross, adding to the blasphemy.
For believers in God and Heaven, this scene would be a crisis of faith. In their belief, God could see everything, and angels could observe the world through the cross. Such blasphemy would surely provoke a response.
But in this universe, Heaven and God weren't as omnipotent as their followers believed. Angels couldn't see Seldar's provocations, and even if they could, they would likely avoid the confrontation.
Previously, Gabriel tasked the Pope with investigating anomalies in the Holy Light, but the Pope had yet to provide an answer. Expecting the Church to investigate itself was unrealistic.
Heaven was limited to assigning the task to the Pope unless Gabriel or another angel could find a way to descend to Earth in their full glory, which was almost impossible under Earth's rejection of such beings. Investigating Rachel's death and the Holy Light's anomalies under these constraints was nearly impossible.
"Stop!" Hellboy burst into the church, yelling at Seldar, who was polishing the cross. Seldar's mocking smile faded as he saw Hellboy, his brow furrowing.
"You? You've been tailing me all this time?" Seldar's voice was low and menacing. "What do you want? Why are you following me?"
Seldar had sensed someone tracking him but chose not to engage, not wanting to disrupt his Hell Lord's plans. However, this pursuit had delayed his progress, making him increasingly irritated, especially upon seeing Hellboy.
"Cayley? Are you alright? How are you holding up?" Hellboy ignored Seldar, his attention immediately on Cayley. He looked with concern at Cayley, whose aura had grown stronger and more demonic.
"You know each other? Wait! You're not a Hell creature? You're another Earth experiment?" Seldar's eyes lit up with a mix of realization and excitement. He had always thought Hellboy was the son of a Hell Lord, carrying the highest demonic bloodline. But hearing Hellboy's concern for Cayley, Seldar misinterpreted his origins and intentions.
Now, Seldar saw Hellboy as another product of Earth's experiments, realizing there was no powerful Hell entity backing him. This revelation dissolved any fear Seldar had of Hellboy. A mocking smile spread across his face as his aura intensified.
"Since you know each other, you might as well join him. With your strong bloodline, you'd make an excellent vessel for my master," Seldar suggested with a smirk. "Cayley, take him. He could be a perfect part of your new form, suitable for hosting the Lord."
"Yes, my lord!" Cayley, who had ignored Hellboy's pleas, finally spoke. His aura flared as he fixed his gaze on Hellboy.
"Cayley? Why are you obeying him? Are you under his control? Cayley! It's me, Hellboy! Don't you remember me? Damn it, what did you do to him?!" Hellboy shouted in frustration. Seeing no response from Cayley, he glared at Seldar.
With a swift motion, a figure appeared beside Hellboy, aiming a sharp claw at his heart.
Hellboy reacted instantly, aiming his massive gun at the attacker, ready to blow them away. But at the last moment, he hesitated, choosing to leap back instead of pulling the trigger.
It was Cayley attacking him. Hellboy couldn't bring himself to harm Cayley, hoping there was still a chance to save him from Seldar's control.
But Cayley, fully transformed into a demon, showed no such restraint. He pursued Hellboy relentlessly, forcing him to retreat without any effective countermeasures.
Seldar watched the struggle with interest, enjoying the sight of Hellboy's hesitation and the irony of former allies turned against each other. This scene of friends forced into conflict was deeply satisfying to him.
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