To be honest, Hellboy found Constantine's words hard to trust. Even though Constantine had just saved him from Serdar, preventing him from being overwhelmed, Hellboy knew Constantine's reputation too well. He had betrayed his partners far too many times for Hellboy to place complete faith in him.
Despite knowing that Serdar's attention was now diverted by Constantine's hidden attacks, Hellboy had no intention of confronting Serdar directly. Instead, he considered taking advantage of the distraction to remove Kairey from the battlefield.
"Show yourself!" Serdar's voice echoed through the empty church. His brows furrowed in frustration. This was a critical moment in his plan, and he could not afford any mistakes. Serdar had been meticulously preparing for this moment, and he couldn't let Hellboy's sudden appearance ruin everything. Initially, he planned to further enhance Kairey by integrating Hellboy's bloodline, but given the unforeseen complications, he decided to expedite the summoning of the Hell Lord, using Kairey as a vessel to avoid any more mishaps.
Serdar suspected that the hidden assailant might be an ally of Hellboy. However, Hellboy's lack of aggressive action after recovering his strength led Serdar to believe that Hellboy might not even know who was attacking from the shadows. He surmised that the hidden entity could be a third party aiming to capitalize on the situation, who underestimated Serdar's strength and failed to resist attacking him.
"What the hell? Are they not fighting anymore?" Constantine, still concealed, muttered in disbelief as he watched both Hellboy and Serdar seemingly caught in a standoff. He had hoped to keep out of direct confrontation, but now with both combatants at a standstill, his strategy was complicated. If Serdar and Hellboy weren't going to engage, Constantine feared he might be forced into a direct confrontation with Serdar, which he wanted to avoid at all costs, especially since Hellboy showed no signs of wanting to cooperate.
However, just as Constantine was pondering his next move, Hellboy took action. With a swift movement, Hellboy vanished, taking the incapacitated Kairey with him as they disappeared from the church.
"Damn it!" Serdar shouted in fury, glaring in the direction where Hellboy had vanished. His eyes flashed with anger, but then a mocking smile spread across his face. "You think you can escape? How naive. I'll give you a surprise. Since I've abandoned my plan to use you directly, I'll let the Hell Lord deal with you once he arrives."
Outside the church, Hellboy, carrying the disabled Kairey, was initially wary of Serdar's furious aura. However, he quickly noticed that Serdar wasn't pursuing him. This puzzled Hellboy, but he decided not to dwell on it. His priority was to get Kairey to safety. Staying here posed far greater risks than leaving. If Serdar had any hidden schemes, Hellboy could address them once Kairey was secure.
Hellboy wondered if Constantine's distraction had given him the perfect opportunity to escape. He thought that once he had ensured Kairey's safety, he could return and assist Constantine, repaying him for his earlier help.
Unbeknownst to Hellboy, Kairey was undergoing a transformation. The demonic energy within him grew stronger, gradually overshadowing his original aura. The divine energy that Hellboy had used to restrain him shattered like ice.
"Huh?!" Hellboy immediately sensed something amiss, but before he could react, a powerful force flung him away, filling him with a sense of impending doom.
"Kairey?! What's happening to you?" Hellboy shouted, disregarding his own injuries as he scrambled to his feet. He hadn't yet grasped the full significance of Kairey's transformation.
"Kairey? That's a decent name," Kairey said, his eyes flickering as if he were sifting through memories. "I think I'll keep it while I'm on Earth. It'll help conceal my identity. If other beings from Hell show up, they won't immediately know who I am."
"What do you mean? You're not Kairey? Who are you?!" Hellboy demanded, his expression darkening as he realized the entity before him was no longer the Kairey he knew.
"I am Kairey. Why wouldn't I be? This body and soul fit perfectly. How could you say I'm not myself?" Kairey spread his hands, his smile serene and unsettling.
"Hiding behind a human name? You don't even dare reveal your true identity? A Hell Lord afraid of his own name?" Hellboy taunted, clenching his fists tightly.
"Honestly, I'm a bit afraid," Kairey admitted with a chuckle, fixing his gaze on Hellboy. "You're intriguing. Even I can't fully decipher your origins. You possess the blood of a Hell Lord, but it seems more potent than mine. It appears human science has created artificial demons, and you seem central to this process. Your bloodline is quite unusual. Maybe a more powerful Hell Lord has their eye on you. So, I'm not particularly eager to fight you right now."
"Then leave Kairey's body!" Hellboy shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
"No, no, no, you misunderstand me," Kairey said calmly. "I don't want to reveal my identity or fight you because, although I'm on Earth now, I haven't established control here. Once I've secured my dominion over Earth, no Hell Lord will intimidate me. By then, this planet will be mine, and everyone will know and chant my true name."
Despite Hellboy's aggressive demeanor, Kairey remained composed, almost elegant. The scene was stark: Hellboy, fierce and demonic, versus Kairey, part-demon with a pleasant smile, creating a confusing tableau where it was hard to tell who the real villain was.
However, past encounters with other Hell Lords like Mephisto and Lucifer, who often appeared as distinguished gentlemen, suggested that such an outward demeanor was likely a ruse to hide their true nature.
"So, that's why I couldn't find any signs of the descent ritual or power. Everything was already integrated into this human vessel..." Robert muttered from his hidden vantage point, piecing together the puzzle. He had been waiting for Hellboy and Serdar's battle to escalate, anticipating the Hell Lord's arrival. Robert had overlooked the possibility that the descent mechanism was already embedded in Kairey's body. He had only performed a superficial scan, missing the deeply hidden ritual, much like how he couldn't initially detect the symbiote within Peter Parker.
"If you want to stay hidden, I'll expose your identity and your arrival on Earth!" Hellboy roared, rushing towards Kairey. His voice was filled with a mix of desperation and determination.
With a hum, a powerful force immediately restrained Hellboy. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free, plunging him into a sense of despair. Hellboy had faced strong adversaries before, always fighting his way through and growing stronger. But this time was different. He was up against a Hell Lord, even if this one chose to remain anonymous. This Hell Lord was far beyond Hellboy's current capabilities.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll simply imprison you. With the dimensional barriers, even your powerful bloodline won't allow your Hell Lord to monitor you constantly unless you die," Kairey said with a tranquil smile after binding Hellboy. "Once I achieve my goal, it won't matter how powerful your Hell Lord is. In both Earth's realm and the Hell dimension, they won't stand a chance against me."
Kairey's plans were no longer a secret. In his view, Hellboy was already captured, and there was no need to hide his intentions. The only Earthling he was slightly cautious of was the Ancient One. However, Kairey was aware of the Ancient One's recent activities across dimensions. He interpreted these actions as the last stand of a cornered being and believed that once he established his foothold on Earth, he could easily surpass the Ancient One.
Kairey was confident he could handle any challenges the Ancient One might pose, especially since the Earth's dimensional suppression wouldn't affect his power. Although Earth wasn't his domain, its lack of suppressive force against him negated any advantage the Ancient One might have.
The true benefit of descending to Earth in a human form was becoming a part of the planet, free from its dimensional restraints.
However, just as Kairey's confidence soared, something unexpected happened. Hellboy, who had been firmly bound, vanished.
"Who's there?!" Kairey demanded, his senses immediately alert to the external force that had whisked Hellboy away. Such an intervention could only come from someone with considerable power.
On the other side, Hellboy, who had resigned himself to his fate, suddenly found himself free. Seeing Robert standing nearby, he was momentarily stunned.
"It's you?!" Hellboy exclaimed, surprised to see Robert.
"Yes, it's me. Go team up with Constantine and deal with that Hell King," Robert replied with a smile. "As for this Hell Lord, leave him to me."
Hellboy hesitated, wanting to say something, but Robert's determined gaze stopped him. It was a look filled with battle spirit and anticipation. Sensing Robert's resolve, Hellboy quickly nodded. "Okay, I understand. Thank you for saving me. If possible, please save Kairey too..."
"Kairey is already gone. From the moment this Hell Lord descended, Kairey was doomed. Or rather, from the time the Hell Lord's power was inscribed within him, it was over. Don't blame yourself. Your strength is no match for him. Now go, this guy is about to make his move," Robert said, shaking
his head as he ushered Hellboy away and then turned to face Kairey with a smile.
"So eager for a fight? Looks like you're excited for this battle too. I hope you won't disappoint me!"
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