"Constantine once told Jim that a friend had helped him pay his debts and saved him. If this friend was willing to pay such a high price, he could not possibly stand by and watch him die again."
Red Robin suddenly raised his eyes and said: "Constantine gambled that he would save him, take revenge for him, and for him... kill Cain."
In Hell, within Azazel's palace, Shiller was sitting face to face with Azazel at the long table of Hell, drinking and chatting. Meanwhile, Red Hood was sitting at the side, reading a book.
"Your strategy is very effective." Azazel's tone was tinged with pleasure. He took a sip of wine that looked like blood, then continued: "All demons who borrowed power broke their contracts at once. The magic realm was thrown into chaos; the years of our painstaking effort were not wasted. Those foolish mages can no longer live without our power."
Suddenly, the dark fog around Azazel dispersed, but what appeared was not the image of a horned demon common in Hell, nor the animal-like form close to Beelzebub that Beelzebub had. Azazel was a standard human shape, blond and blue-eyed, handsome, with a pair of huge black wings behind him.
"Seraphim Azazel—the guardian of Heaven, the scapegoat who suffers for the Lord." Shiller smiled and said to Azazel.
"That's ancient history." Azazel said coldly.
Just as Shiller was about to say something, Azazel saw his face change color, and then, the smile on Shiller's face faded, replaced by an expression of slight surprise.
"...Bold and reckless." Shiller said in a somewhat sighing tone, and Azazel didn't know whom he was evaluating.
Shiller got up from his seat, turned his head to look out the window of the Demon Palace, and suddenly two entwined souls flew to Shiller's hand from the window. A flash of light appeared in Shiller's eyes, and the souls turned into pure white light in his hands.
Azazel's six huge wings suddenly spread out, and he rose into the air, flying to the middle of the throne. He glared at Shiller and roared.
"You're an angel?! You deceived me!!!"
"Constantine..." Shiller muttered the name of the soul. He took a deep breath as if in disbelief.
Azazel in mid-air also fell silent. A few seconds later, he drew his wings and landed on the ground, looking at the light spot in Shiller's hand with some surprise, and asked:
"You've become Constantine's master? How did you manage it? This cunning human has once fooled the entire Hell!"
"That's my personal business, Your Majesty Azazel."
As Shiller looked at Azazel, Azazel muttered under his breath: "Where did Lucifer find another fallen angel?!"
"How exactly did you obtain Constantine's soul?" Azazel asked again.
"Heaven and Hell couldn't obtain his soul because you didn't really want to save him. I suffered for him and became his master."
"Indeed, I am an angel, and after one time when he audaciously offended me, another me made a pact with him... I have some personal matters to attend to, Your Majesty Azazel, so I will take my leave."
Azazel snorted coldly, but he still said before Shiller left the throne room: "Be careful of Gabriel. He has taken a great vow to judge all the fallen. Although stupid, he is very annoying."
Shiller paused in his steps, but he still said: "Thank you for your reminder, Your Majesty."
In the Forgotten Bookstore, Red Hood woke up in a daze with his head in his hands. He found himself lying on the table with an empty wine glass in front of him.
"Is this a dream?" Red Hood asked hoarsely.
Suddenly, he saw a hand holding a cup of hot water in front of him. When Red Hood looked up, he came face to face with a pair of desolate gray eyes, and he broke into a cold sweat almost immediately.
"Drink this." Shiller's tone was very gentle as he looked at Red Hood and said: "You will have to study on your own for a while, as I need to use this body to take care of some personal matters."
With trembling fingertips, Red Hood picked up the cup and mechanically took a sip. He could not take his unfocused eyes off Shiller, but he still put down the cup and said: "You… Are you not the professor?"
"You can understand it that way," Shiller said with a smile.
Just as he was about to turn and head upstairs, Red Hood stood up and called him back, asking, "What are you going to do?"
Shiller's hand rested on the buttons of his suit, his eyes downcast, "Someone has killed my lamb, I need to retrieve its blood."
"Can I come with you?" After a deep breath, Red Hood continued, "I'm not finished with my lessons."
"I fear this is not something you want to learn."
"But I can watch."
"If you're not squeamish about blood, then come along. But wait here while I change my clothes."
Red Hood stood near the stairs, watching Shiller walk into the bedroom. Shortly after, Shiller emerged donning a burgundy three-piece suit, buttoning it up as he descended the stairs.
Red Hood had moved to the door. He turned his head towards Shiller, "Where are we going?"
Shiller shook his head, walked over to the table by the window and sat down, motioning to the position opposite him, "Sit down, we need to visit Hell again."
Red Hood was slightly puzzled but followed Shiller's instruction. Soon, the two of them reappeared in Azazel's palace. Azazel, frowning, studied Shiller who had turned up again.
"It seems like you are not…"
"King Azazel," Shiller cut him off, raising his voice, "Let's strike a fair deal. If you tell me where John Constantine's killer is, I'll offer recompense."
Azazel looked amused, "I don't believe you can satisfy me with your rewards..."
"The recompense is Constantine."
Unhurriedly, Shiller approached Azazel. As their eyes met, the barren, grey eyes of Azazel moved away first.
Shiller opened his hand again, his scattered grey eyes fixed on the brilliant soul light radiating an intense wave of terror. With his other hand, he pulled one intertwined soul light out and presented it before Azazel.
"You, all the demon kings, all of Hell and Heaven covet John Constantine — this man who toyed with you, will fall into your hands."
Azazel listened to the tormented screams emitting from the soul light of Constantine, then looked back at Shiller and his barren grey eyes. Suppressing his excitement, he took a half-step back and indifferently said: "Every man has his own savior, he is your lamb."
"Yes," said Shiller, lowering his eyes again, devoid of any anger, only a slight touch of mocking helplessness. He gazed at the whimpering and screaming soul light in his palm, saying,
"But just as he has played you countless times, this self-righteous lamb wishes to use me."
"I will retrieve his blood because it's mine. But I hope you, and all the demons in hell who hate him, give him a lesson to my satisfaction. As long as his soul is intact, Hell should treat him as pleasurably as possible ... this is the price of purity."
Azazel cast a meaningful gaze at Shiller, turned and went back to his throne. Sitting down, he held onto the armrests, listening to the screaming from the soul light with rapt attention.
"No, no ... Shiller!! No!!!"
Azazel's excited voice echoed around the palace.
"The trade has been made, Cain... has killed your lamb."