In the end, Strange was still persuaded by Peter. Calling Illyana over to discuss the matter first was the best course of action. He ultimately agreed with Spider-Man's perspective: Magik might have an issue objectively, but subjectively, it was highly improbable that she was an enemy.
Thus, when Illyana arrived at the parlor, she caught the two of them gossiping about her.
"Could it be an evil version of Illyana from some alternative universe? One who was found by Belasco, trained into his enforcer, and then executed this entire sequence of operations?"
"Use your brain, Spider-Man. If a Magik from another universe has never visited our universe, she can only travel back and forth within her own universe. How could she possibly cross over to ours?"
Illyana leaned against the doorframe with her greatsword slung across her back, silently listening to the two men as they sat on the sofa sipping coffee around the fireplace.
"Do you think it's possible that Illyana's demonic form has evolved an independent personality of its own or something?"
"Now, that is actually a possibility. After all, after half of her soul was torn away by Belasco, she grew up in Limbo for several consecutive years. The void in her soul has long been filled by the energy of Limbo, which is also the reason why her potential in black magic is limitless and why she can easily exert control over the dimension of Limbo—half of her soul right now is herself, and the other half is a part of Limbo itself."
Strange spoke eloquently to Peter. "As for the other half of this girl's soul? That Bloodstone has already been forged into a weapon by her own hands."
"I am so glad the two of you are helping me reminisce about my tragic childhood. Is that the reason you called me over?" Illyana spoke up from the doorway. Strange and Peter whipped around to look at her. Amidst the awkward atmosphere, she continued, "Or is the matter regarding Mephisto no longer important, leaving you both with plenty of time to lounge around and chat?"
"In fact, we were precisely discussing official business."
Strange snapped his fingers, conjuring a small sofa between himself and Peter for Illyana. "Are you aware that Ghost Rider and Elsa captured a man possessed by a demon? His original soul is nowhere to be found, and his body has been supplanted by a demon."
"I know, I saw the news. I'm glad you've made some progress. So, what do you need me to do?"
Illyana sat down and accepted the coffee Strange had conjured—sweetened with extra sugar and milk to suit American palates. Then, she heard Strange's next sentence and nearly spat the coffee out. "Those demons do not hail from Mephisto's dimension, 'Hell', but rather from Limbo."
"Are you certain?"
Illyana looked at the two of them in disbelief, subsequently receiving a definitive confirmation. Now, she finally understood why these two had been sitting here discussing matters concerning her. Looking at them with utter incredulity, she asked in return, "Could it be that... I really have a split personality?"
"Nothing is conclusive just yet. But what we do know is that these demons escaped from Limbo into Earth, and you failed to perceive a single thing."
As Strange spoke, he let out a sigh of lament. "At least this resolves one of our greatest perplexities, which was how Mephisto intended to execute his plan when he couldn't bring over enough of his own demons. The answer is borrowing forces—borrowing them from Limbo."
Peter then looked at Illyana. "If you were to see that demon, would you be able to recognize who it is?"
A difficult expression surfaced on Illyana's face. "It's highly unlikely... Aside from occasionally practicing magic, I rarely visit Limbo. It's not exactly a pleasant place to be."
Strange instantly grew re-energized.
"That might precisely be where the problem lies. Although your memories and emotions are perfectly intact, half of your soul ultimately does not belong to Earth, but rather to Limbo. If you remain away from Limbo for an extended period, your soul itself will fail to stabilize—naturally, the same would happen if you stayed in Limbo constantly. You need to balance your existence across both realms."
Illyana frowned. From a magical standpoint, Strange was undoubtedly correct. However, who in their right mind would willingly reside in a wretched place like Limbo? If that half of her soul could truly split off completely, that would be ideal; she could remain on Earth and let the other half manage Limbo.
Meanwhile, Peter was still brainstorming a solution regarding the demon. "Do you think if Illyana assumes her demonic form and stands before that demon, she might be able to wring some information out of it?"
"I don't think it would work. Since the adversary is a demon, it ought to be capable of discerning the situation. Furthermore, this is merely a conjecture on our part; perhaps Mephisto possesses a method to bypass Magik entirely." Strange paused for a moment at this juncture. "Regardless, if Mephisto wishes to interfere with our world through Limbo, there is one person he absolutely cannot bypass."
Belasco.
Admittedly, Belasco himself was considered one of the more pathetic dimensional Hell Lords, and he had already been ousted from Limbo, completely cut off from its infinite dimensional energy, reducing him to nothing more than an ordinary dark sorcerer. However, as the former ruler of Limbo, he could provide Mephisto with a vast amount of intelligence.
This included details on which demons within Limbo possessed formidable strength, which ones were exceptionally talented, and which ones held specialized capabilities. Belasco could furnish Mephisto with all of this information. To a certain extent, Belasco had become the intermediary between the native demons of Limbo and Mephisto.
As for what Belasco desired? Naturally, it was to return to Limbo and reign supreme once more. That was the first step, and the second step would be to continue his grand design...
"Speaking of which, Miss Elsa's last name is Bloodstone. Does she have any connection to the Bloodstones? I recall Belasco was just one Bloodstone away from actualizing his plan."
Upon remembering this detail, Peter looked toward Strange. Strange merely shrugged indifferently. "It's not quite the same. Elsa's power does indeed stem from a gem, and this gem is certainly related to her surname. Her father passed down a fragment of an extraterrestrial meteorite to her, known as the Bloodgem. It sounds similar, but they are entirely different objects—one is an alien artifact, while the other is a creation of the soul."
Hearing this, Peter found it somewhat difficult to keep a straight face. If the source of your power and your family name came from a "Bloodgem," why on earth would you call yourself "Bloodstone"?
"Nonetheless, that is an excellent suggestion. Perhaps we can utilize this to mislead Belasco, making him believe that Elsa possesses the exact type of Bloodstone he requires." Strange chuckled. "Then, we can proceed to apprehend this dimensional Hell Lord who has lost his own dimension."
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