When John Wick heard the claim that his wife wasn't in Heaven, his calm and peaceful face shifted into a contemplative expression.
He already knew that Helen had once been a celebrity, and that she had married the arms dealer Yuri Orlov and had a child with him. What he hadn't known at first was that she'd betrayed her former husband. But when Yuri sent men to kill him—and William had to step in to save him—John had no choice but to investigate.
Even though he loved Helen, John had to know the truth before marrying her. When he discovered that Yuri had nearly been imprisoned, the implication was clear.
And John, who had some understanding of the conditions needed to enter Heaven, knew that just the act of betraying a family member could be enough to bar someone's soul from ascending.
Seeing John hesitate, Mephisto's lips curled into a smile. He leaned closer and whispered seductively,
"Let's make a deal. I am the Lord of Hell, the one true Satan, the King of Envy—Mephisto.
Give me your envy, and in return, I'll bring you back to life and help you find your wife's soul. How about it?"
That hit John Wick where it hurt most.
If it weren't for Helen, a man like him—with so much blood on his hands—would never have wavered.
But Mephisto had used Helen as bait, striking directly at John's heart.
And Heaven wasn't the kind of place you could just walk into—especially not someone with hesitation in his soul.
Within seconds, the light of Heaven that had come to take John began flickering.
The soul resembling Helen, realizing what was happening, quickly began recounting the most tender and beautiful memories of their time together.
John's soul wasn't just torn—it began roaring in rage at Mephisto.
But Mephisto refused to let go. He clung to John's physical body with iron grip, preventing his soul from breaking free.
Moments later, the heavenly light vanished completely.
John was silent for several seconds, then let out a hoarse, rage-filled shout:
"Take it. Take it all. But I swear—I'll kill you, Mephisto. I will kill you, then go to Heaven."
Mephisto barely reacted to the threats. He sneered and took a symbolic bite from the void—consuming John's envy—then gripped his head with glee.
"You're mine now, John Wick," he whispered, almost affectionately.
Watching as John's heart started beating again—though he remained unconscious—William shook his head.
Having a part of his soul devoured by Mephisto meant John now belonged to him. Unless he truly killed Mephisto, or unless the so-called God of Light intervened to personally claim him, John Wick would never reunite with Helen.
Hell had claimed a piece of him. Even death wouldn't be his to choose anymore.
And a common soul, burdened by negative emotions? That was an easy pick for a demon lord like Mephisto.
Still, because Mephisto and William had long been adversaries, and because William had been so focused on protecting himself that he'd overlooked John's fate, he felt a twinge of guilt.
With a sigh, William cast a deep sleep spell on John Wick and followed it with two healing spells. Within seconds, the gaping wound on John's head closed completely.
Then, with a bright grin, he walked over to Mephisto and casually slung an arm over his shoulder.
"You cheated, buddy. Isn't it time you honored your part of the deal?"
"Pardon? What deal?"
This projection of Mephisto—dressed in a white suit, barefoot, and still smoldering with bits of molten ash—was not only younger-looking but more carefree than the older one from before.
Grinning playfully, he said, "You forget, our wager was whether John Wick goes to Heaven or Hell. He's alive now. No outcome. No winner. Why should I pay up?"
"I said you cheated. That makes you a cheater."
William slammed a spatial seal into Mephisto's projection.
"I warned you—if you cheated, I'd turn your domain into a test site for antimatter bombs.
And don't forget—you swallowed John's envy. That alone is enough to bring the case to the Hell Dimension's ruling will."
William patted Mephisto's gut mockingly.
"Buddy, if you're going to cheat, you should at least hide the evidence. Or do you want to watch the biggest, brightest firework ever light up your domain?"
Mephisto immediately understood the danger he was in.
Either he returned John's envy, or he handed over the demon god Set. Otherwise, William could use this breach to go after Set himself.
And even if he failed to kill the hiding Set, just making the attempt would humiliate Mephisto in front of the other demon lords.
If that happened, his reputation would be shattered—and so would his claim to the Satanic Throne.
But Mephisto wouldn't give in easily.
"You really want what I already digested? You dare ask for it?"
"I do. Why wouldn't I?" William grinned, holding up a glowing hand of pure holy light. The light shifted rapidly between animal shapes—clearly a high-level purifying magic.
"So your power contaminated it? No problem. I'll just cleanse it again."
The light intensified, and Mephisto's face began to crack and melt under its purity.
"Stop! DAMN IT—STOP!" Mephisto roared in pain.
William pretended not to hear, moving his hand even closer. Soon, Mephisto's illusion burned away, revealing his demonic form—jagged fangs and sharp horns gleaming beneath torn skin.
"Hmm?"
William sensed a spatial fluctuation and instantly locked down the area.
He grabbed Mephisto's projection by the throat and sneered,
"Trying to run?"
A flicker of panic flashed in Mephisto's eyes.
Mimicking Mephisto's own earlier theatrics, William wrinkled his nose, sniffed the air—and in that moment, a divine rune of holy light flashed across his eyes.
Seconds later, William's expression shifted in shock.
"You're not just a projection… This thing has your soul in it."
"Fine! Set's yours! You can have Set!"
Realizing he'd been exposed—and unable to escape—Mephisto shouted in frustration,
"Let me go, and I'll personally kick Set out of my domain!"
William ignored him, continuing to scan carefully. Then, out of nowhere, he laughed with delight.
"So that's how you popped up on Earth so fast.
Still, bold of you, Mephisto—bringing a soul-bearing projection into my face when you know I can annihilate demon souls permanently."
He circled Mephisto like a butcher inspecting livestock.
"I'm not sure if I should praise your guts or mock your catastrophic luck."
Grinning, William squatted down and rubbed his chin.
"So tell me again, old pal…
You wanted to bite a piece of my soul, right? Well… doesn't that mean I get to completely obliterate this piece of yours and absorb it into pure energy?"
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