"I can agree, little one, but I still want to have children the natural way," Bayonetta said as she tossed the phone aside, ceasing her teasing of Solomon. Still, her smoldering gray eyes burned with fiery desire, locking onto the mage as if she might pull him into her arms, consume his flesh and blood, and merge the two of them into one being.
And in fact, that was exactly what she intended to do.
The witch understood Solomon's feelings for her. She also knew that this boy she'd been training since childhood would never stray to another woman. That's why she would never agree to unreasonable conditions just to appease him. When Solomon asked for a genetic test, Bayonetta readily agreed. For two witches who had lived for more than five centuries, genetic testing was a novel experience. She didn't accept it blindly, however—both the Sorcerer Supreme and Athena had already subtly warned her that she and Solomon would be extremely difficult to match genetically. The core issue was that their powers were simply too immense, which was why Athena had initially been so opposed to any romantic involvement between the two.
This test was similar to a prenatal screening but even more detailed and precise. It could identify compatible gene sequences between Solomon and the witch, avoiding conflicts of power that could result in the birth of something unimaginable. Bayonetta even planned to rope Jeanne into the screening. In her words, it was "just in case"—who knew when Jeanne and Solomon might end up getting involved? Bayonetta didn't mind if it happened, but if it produced a monster, that'd be a problem.
Solomon, however, wasn't thinking about children—at least not yet. His request stemmed from complications in the bio lab. The body crafted by the Earth Mother herself held endless potential and could carry the soul created for him, but the power encoded in his genes was simply too great. Even gene-editing methods couldn't prevent test subjects with even a fragment of his genetic code from suffering catastrophic failures: the brain consumed excessive energy, overheated, and shut down. Mutated organs devoured nutrients faster than IVs could deliver them. In the end, the subject would burn up in a blaze of golden light, reduced to ash beyond recovery.
Not even Maya Hansen could figure out what went wrong. The destroyed specimen represented the culmination of her research prior to the acquisition of the Golden Honor Guard. After initial analysis of the new test subjects, Maya offered a plausible theory: Solomon's unique genes carried not only overwhelming power but also memories—memories so dense and complex that no ordinary person could endure the torrent of information. Their bodies couldn't keep up with the cellular functions needed to carry out the Extremis-based gene edits. Furthermore, she had detected unusual sequences in the Honor Guard's DNA. This led Solomon to propose using the witch's genetic data as a stabilizing agent—to anchor his power at the microscopic level.
Only then could the Golden Honor Guard safely carry the DNA and genetic memory of exceptional figures from history. Otherwise, all subjects would end up like Solomon when his stigmas had once gone berserk—burned alive by out-of-control power.
Aside from Bayonetta, other candidates included Athena, Wanda Maximoff, and other women with unique powers. Solomon intended to test all viable options for stabilizing those genetic fragments. That was the only way the genetic expression of the Honor Guard could succeed—meaning he would ultimately find a way. He and Maya Hansen now had to conduct screenings and experiments, comparing the witch's gene segments and identifying stabilizing sequences.
As for Athena, Solomon still didn't know how to face her. Since returning from the edge of the galaxy, he hadn't visited his adoptive mother once. From a genetic standpoint, he was a construct of the Earth Mother, a being of higher rank than even Zeus. From a lineage perspective, both the Greek pantheon and the Vishanti were direct descendants of the Earth Mother, and many Greek spells were included in the Book of the Vishanti. Relationally, Athena was his foster mother.
It was all too tangled, even for Solomon to know what to call her.
But that was a small matter—the project in the bio lab was far more important. These experiments, which pushed the boundaries of modern scientific ethics, were akin to 21st-century lobotomies—something that absolutely had to be kept secret from the outside world. Still, Solomon told Bayonetta part of the truth. She didn't react much. After all, in the era she came from, scientific ethics hadn't even existed. Besides, she knew Solomon would never experiment on innocents. [Bayonetta is chaotic good.]
Her only demand was that Solomon never miss a single "creation ritual" and be available on call.
This wasn't just about her desire to have a child—it was about pleasure. Whether or not a child resulted was secondary; the process was absolutely essential. Witches were born craving pleasure—more so than even the succubi of the Abyss. It was a side effect of their demonic contracts, and she never shied away from the fact. Ever since Solomon entered her life, it became his responsibility to fulfill every one of her desires.
"If the side effects of demonic contracts are so strong, then how did the witches handle it back when your kind still existed?" Solomon asked, genuinely curious. He'd never seen an original demonic contract from the witches, but based on Bayonetta and Jeanne's behavior, he could guess at a few things. He was fairly certain it wasn't just about the contract—it was the Abyssal magic itself. All energy carried attributes, and those who accepted such power inevitably leaned toward its nature. Only a rare few, like the current Sorcerer Supreme, could resist those effects. The destructive negativity of the Dark Dimension had never once disturbed the Ancient One's thoughts or emotions. But a witch infused with chaotic evil Abyssal magic would, without an outlet, eventually commit acts of unspeakable evil.
There were plenty of historical examples of witches like that. Laura had recently encountered one, in fact.
Back when the witch clans still flourished, their way of life resembled that of the Amazon tribes of ancient Greece. For reproduction, they'd go out and find men, then bring back the baby girls to be raised in the clan, where they would learn alchemy, mathematics, magic, and dance. Every girl started from the same point—no educational inequality due to social status. Only the best would become the next leader of the witch clan. Jeanne and Bayonetta had once been rivals for that position, but their competition was cut short by the Witch Hunts and never settled.
"Men were just for breeding," Bayonetta said with a playful smirk. "But as for pleasure… Every witch was taught from a young age by the High Priestess how to know her own body and how to please herself. Witches understand themselves better than men ever could..." She narrowed her eyes with delight, rotating her wrist as her fingers slowly crawled up Solomon's thigh. Mischievously, she blew a warm breath into his ear, sending shivers down his spine. The World Eye's power silently pierced his magic resistance. Her methods weren't limited to combat—they included this, too. "Have you forgotten who taught you all your little tricks, my little stallion? So tell me, are you going to take me galloping into the clouds tonight?"
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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