"So, Mephisto and the Saint know each other."
Constantine, after listening for a while, caught a key piece of information and asked Old Dad, who was certainly an expert in the magical realm.
"Of course."
Old Dad looked at Constantine with surprise: "Demons have existed for countless ages, their history perhaps far longer than that of humanity.
As powerful beings among demons, Mephisto and the Saint certainly know each other."
"That troublesome."
Constantine felt a headache coming on.
He had anticipated that when the Ghost Rider, also known as Johnny Blaze, burst into this antique shop, Mephisto had sensed the related threads of fate almost instantly.
At this moment, Mephisto might have already found the Saint, preparing to use the Saint influence on Earth to unite and achieve their goals.
On one hand, helping the Saint break free and once again turn the human realm into Hell.
On the other hand, finding a way to get Johnny to locate the Sanctus Gonza contract to open the gates of Hell.
In short, these were likely the biggest goals for both the Saint and Mephisto at the moment.
In fact, Constantine, or rather, Anton thinking, was accurate.
At the moment the Ghost Rider charged into the antique shop, Mephisto had sensed the related threads of fate and became aware of the Saint presence.
This was a delightful surprise for Mephisto.
During the ancient civilization era, the Saint, along with seven other demonic siblings, was sealed by the Eight Immortals into another dimensional space, after which they lost contact.
He hadn't expected that the Saint had returned to Earth today, planning to re-establish the demonic rule of the ancient civilizations...
This was, of course, fantastic news for Mephisto.
Thus, Mephisto immediately used various means to gather all information about the antique shop and through Walong, successfully located the Saint.
"Mr. Mephi, this way please."
Walong, with a sycophantic expression, led Mephisto into a building.
Although Walong was the leader of the Black Hand Gang, the gang was merely an underground faction, not really a big shot.
Mephisto public identity was that of a cult leader.
And this cult gathered high-ranking politicians from various countries, as well as billionaires.
Using this identity, Mephisto successfully bribed Walong with money and inducted him into his sect.
"The Saint is inside."
As Walong spoke, he led Mephisto to his office.
The office was on the top floor of a building in Los Angeles, with large floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing a perfect view of the cityscape outside.
But neither Walong nor Mephisto had any interest in the beautiful scenery.
Mephisto looked at a circular sculpture of an Eastern dragon before him and smiled eagerly.
"Saint, long time no see."
He slowly began, his voice startling the Saint.
The dragon sculpture suddenly opened its eyes, its crimson pupils emitting an endless aura of evil, immediately locking onto Walong and Mephisto.
"Mephi, it you..."
A raspy voice echoed in their minds.
Walong was no longer surprised.
"You wouldn't believe that now you've been sealed into a sculpture... what a disgrace, Saint."
Mephisto laughed heartily.
"Mephi!"
The Saint anger surged: "If you've come to mock me, you're gravely mistaken! I will soon reclaim my power and make this world bow before me again."
"Humph!"
Mephisto snorted coldly: "Don't forget, hundreds of years ago, after you escaped from Hell, someone else sealed you, turning you into a pitiful piece of sculpture."
Having realized the Saint existence, Mephisto had initiated extensive investigations and quickly gathered relevant information about the Saint.
Centuries ago, after escaping from another dimension, the Saint had re-established a nation somewhere in Asia but was once again sealed by a powerful adversary.
Asia is a weak point for Mephisto influence.
Therefore, Mephisto typically does not concern himself with matters there, which also led him to overlook the existence of the Saint until now.
Certainly, even if he had known of the Saint existence before encountering Constantine and before the Ghost Rider escaped from his clutches, he wouldn't have sought him out proactively.
As one of the lords of Hell, Mephisto prefers to act alone.
Collaborating with other demons would undermine his prestige.
If not for the increasing weakness of his human body and the risk that using demonic powers again might rapidly deteriorate his condition, he would not have considered seeking out the Saint.
"Sorcerer Saint, Lope!"
The Saint closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, then opened them and said, "That was my oversight. Just let me regain my powers, and I will eliminate all who stand in my way."
"No, the humans of today have developed a modern civilization that is unbelievably advanced to us demons, with various superhumans causing us headaches. Therefore, we need to unite."
Mephisto sighed, then tempting said, "Saint, I can help you."
"Oh?"
The Saint replied, "You're not one to do favors, Mephi, state your purpose."
"I'll help you retrieve the spell, but you need to help me capture the Ghost Rider and find the Sanctus Gonza contract," Mephisto proposed. "An equivalent exchange, that our principle, isn't it?"
"You want to open the gates of Hell for your true form to descend..."
The Saint was no fool hearing Mephisto mention the Sanctus Gonza contract, he understood the latter real intent.
"Correct."
Mephisto spoke gravely, "When the time comes, I can share the Earth with you, just as you and the other eight demons once shared the entire Earth... Of course, this time it will be different, this time it just the two of us."
"Deal."
The Saint did not hesitate: "As long as you help me recover my powers and gather all the spells, I'll help you capture the Ghost Rider and retrieve the Sanctus Gonza contract."
Meanwhile.
Old Dad Antique Shop.
"You're saying that Mephisto is likely to collaborate with the Saint?"
Old Dad exclaimed, "This is not good!"
"If these two major demons unite, it could lead to an unprecedented crisis."
Constantine said, "The only consolation is that the Saint has already been sealed and cannot use his powers, and Mephisto human body is aging.
Our battle yesterday should make him cautious, unlikely to risk using his powers and risking death…"
"So, our enemy is the demons, but the demons won't act rashly we only need to guard against their minions…"
Jade finally understood, summarizing the main idea, "Like the Black Hand Gang, led by Walong?"
"Yes."
Constantine thought for a moment and added, "Whether it the Saint or Mephisto, both have a following on Earth we need to be vigilant of their presence."