Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

The spell "Tasha's Hideous Laughter" originated from the famous witch of Perrenland, a passionate fan of extreme captivity play, creator of The Demonicon, lover and both enemy and friend of Graz'zt, Lord of the Abyssal Triad, Master of Shadows, the Dual-Plugged, the Six-Fingered Lord of Three Domains. She was also the mother of the demigod Iuz—Iggwilv of the Greyhawk world.

Baldur and Bayonetta were natural spellcasters, with angelic and demonic powers coursing through their veins. The more they harmonized with these powers, the stronger they became. Charisma was the attribute tied to this magical affinity, as could be seen from Bayonetta's unparalleled allure. Even with half his face covered, Baldur's voice was still mesmerizing. That's why Solomon chose a spell targeting the mind, exploiting the innate weakness of natural spellcasters.

Bullets travel faster than spells, though. As Solomon was chanting, tossing cakes, and waving feathers, Bayonetta's bullets were already speeding toward Baldur's head. Suddenly, an invisible force expanded outward from Baldur, freezing everything in place. In this realm, everyone except Baldur was motionless. He casually reached out, grabbed the four suspended bullets, and flipped them around.

Baldur's fingers lightly traced the air, and everything returned to normal. No one realized what had happened, but Bayonetta's reflexes allowed her to dodge the bullets that had been meant for Baldur. However, this maneuver left her vulnerable, and Baldur seized the moment. His free hand shot out, tightly gripping Bayonetta's neck, lifting her off the ground.

"That's it, Cereza! Do not fear your destiny!" Baldur's fingers, like iron hooks, sank deep into Bayonetta's slender neck, ignoring her cries of pain. "Stand tall, my child. Embrace your true potential! Hahaha!"

Baldur let out a manic laugh, his tense muscles forcing him to hunch slightly. Though the golden mask covered half his face, the madness in his expression was clear. Suddenly, Solomon appeared between him and Bayonetta in a wisp of silver mist. The arcane mage's right hand held a dagger, which he slashed at Baldur's weakening left hand, forcing him to release Bayonetta. At the same time, Solomon reached for the young girl in Baldur's arms.

The Misty Step spell proved incredibly useful, offering a nearly instant teleportation. Whether for escaping, chasing, or intervening in a fight, it was invaluable. But with time running short, Solomon couldn't cast any more spells, nor activate any magic items.

Without needing further instruction, Solomon's chubby gray familiar—a short-haired cat—scrambled up Baldur's robes, its swift movements belying its portly appearance. The cat slashed at Baldur's neck, leaving four white marks.

Once again, that invisible domain expanded. Baldur coughed, inhaled deeply, and shrugged off the effects of Tasha's Hideous Laughter (passing a Will save).

"I must admit, I admire you, arcane mage," he said, releasing Bayonetta and shoving Solomon aside. He grabbed the gray cat, which was about to sink its teeth into him, and hurled it away. He then swatted away Solomon's hand as it reached for the girl.

Maintaining this power was somewhat taxing for Baldur, but his overwhelming confidence made him willing to waste time talking even when in control of the situation, knowing full well that Solomon couldn't hear him.

"You figured out the weakness of the sages so quickly, after just one encounter. As expected of the Supreme Mage's disciple and the Saint. But you're just lucky."

Baldur suddenly swung a punch.

Time resumed its normal flow, and Solomon felt himself struck twice in an instant—once in the left hand and once in the chest. Before he could react, the immense force sent him reeling backward, crashing into Bayonetta, knocking them both into the slowly rotating rune disc.

"Cough, cough! Ugh!" The blow nearly knocked the wind out of Solomon, while Bayonetta was still recovering from the pain. When Solomon helped Bayonetta to her feet, they saw Baldur lifting the young Bayonetta into the air. The child floated, her body radiating blue magic.

"Cereza, we are one, my child." Baldur gazed at the floating girl with rapture as she drifted toward him and vanished into his chest. Suddenly, a massive surge of blue magic erupted around Baldur, flooding the room like a tidal wave. The magic's power whipped up a storm in the spherical chamber, pushing all the furniture, tapestries, and decorations outward, smashing them to pieces.

Baldur let out a pained yet joyous scream. Solomon and Bayonetta had no time to comment on the perversity of the scene. They could only hide behind the Seraphim's Shield that Solomon raised, struggling to resist the overwhelming force. But Solomon knew he couldn't hold out for long—the shield was being torn apart by the magical storm, with countless bright sparks flying as if paint was splashing into a raging current, carried into the air by the wind.

Fortunately, the storm ceased just as Solomon was about to collapse. But worse was to come. The magic that had gathered around Baldur suddenly exploded with even greater force, shattering the Seraphim's Shield into sparks. The impact blew apart the floating chamber, and debris rained down, smashing into the spire of the Isabel Tower. Huge chunks of concrete and steel plummeted from the sky. Bayonetta held Solomon close, using her magic as a final barrier while they plummeted downward.

Baldur hovered in the air, peacock feathers unfurling behind him like wings, exactly as they had appeared to Bayonetta 500 years ago. The five pairs of wings symbolized Baldur's identity as Jubileus' earthly emissary.

But unlike five centuries earlier, blue magic coursed over his body. A tiny head of blue magic emerged from Baldur's chest—its face identical to Cereza's, down to the glasses and flower in her hair.

"Boya! You…" As Bayonetta fell, brilliant butterfly wings unfolded behind her, trying to slow her descent and avoid the falling debris. But her concern for the bleeding Solomon weighed heavily on her. Solomon waved a hand, coughing up blood—Baldur's punch had injured his lungs, and he still felt the ache in his ribs. But it was no big deal; he could heal himself with the positive energy provided by Viṣṇu.

"You go..." Solomon gasped, "Remember... lipstick! Kill him..."

Targets affected by Hideous Laughter must make a saving throw each time they're attacked... So, use this spell on weaklings. Don't cast it on divine casters, or you'll end up in tears.

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