The Devil's End

Peter had originally planned to settle scores with Strange, but by the time he and Iron Fist passed through the Sanctum Sanctorum's portal—ordinary mages could not reach Hell's Border even with a Sling Ring—they found Illyana carrying her Soulsword and chasing Strange around, hacking at him.

Ordinary weapons posed little threat to the Sorcerer Supreme, but that sword was different. It attacked the soul directly, and since Strange was in the wrong, he could only run around in circles.

Peter then looked toward the other Midnight Sons. Never mind where the demonic version of Illyana had gone; in any case, Belasco had been tied up tightly here. He had never dreamed that Chthon would be the key to Strange's plan, and after Chthon had been banished, he had no idea what to do for a while.

Something even more terrifying came afterward. When he had already decided to do whatever it took to buy himself a way out, he discovered that the Blink Realm had replied to his report about Chthon trading his soul for magical energy—they had actually refused!

And so Belasco had been captured.

"Looks like the Sorcerer Supreme isn't all that righteous either. Such a dangerous plan, and he never told any of you. Fine, perhaps he chose not to tell you, but weren't the risks involved great enough already? Maybe you could accept dying yourselves, but with one wrong move, your entire world would be finished. And this sort of person can still become the Sorcerer Supreme?"

Belasco was still babbling away when Strange sealed his mouth with a spell. Wearing his tattered Cloak of Levitation and covered in wounds, Strange walked up to Belasco. "Your master has abandoned you, Belasco. Without a source of power, without Chthon, without Hell's Border, what do you have left?"