Mephisto exuded a hellish aura of sulfur as his fiery red eyes scanned the battlefield. This body, likely influenced by Mephisto's demonic essence during its Inhuman transformation, was becoming increasingly attuned to his control.
Under the overwhelming presence of the Lord of Hell, the Hellfire that burned on Ghost Rider was suppressed, forcing him back into his human form. Johnny Blaze sat on the ground, bewildered, unable to summon the Spirit of Vengeance once more.
Now, only the Mandarin remained to stand against the ruler of Hell, and the pressure was mounting.
Raising his right hand, he pointed his ring-bearing finger at Mephisto. The golden gemstone embedded in the ring emitted a sharp energy beam, slicing through the air toward its target.
The attack was swift, and Mephisto barely had time to evade. The beam struck his arm, instantly disintegrating it into nothingness.
"Interesting ring you have there," Mephisto mused, unfazed as his missing limb swiftly regenerated. With a casual wave of his hand, an even more powerful barrage of crimson lightning rained down upon the Mandarin's position, reducing the ground beneath him to smoldering ruins.
Watching from a distance, Garus was astounded. How had Mephisto become so powerful while possessing an Inhuman's body? If it had been him in the past, he would have stood no chance against this version of Mephisto.
As Mephisto's gaze fell upon the demonic sigil on the ground, a realization struck him—this was the perfect moment to launch an invasion of this realm.
Channeling the Inhuman body's connection to the Terrigen Crystals, he summoned them into his grasp from all around—even the one held tightly by Agent May was forcefully pulled from her hands.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Mephisto hurled the Terrigen Crystals toward the surrounding altars. The sheer energy contained within these crystals surpassed his expectations. Combined with the power of his current host, they were enough to tear open a planar rift. It was time to summon his infernal legions from Hell.
Mephisto's form slipped into the fabric of the universe's interdimensional seams. As his incantations resonated through the sigil-covered village, the temperature soared, and hellfire erupted across the land.
The sudden escalation caught Garus off guard—Ghost Rider and the Mandarin had already fallen so quickly, leaving the situation looking grim.
Above, a swirling vortex of darkness, tinged with fire-red hues, churned ominously. The rift was growing increasingly unstable, resembling the massive wormhole Garus had once encountered on Sakaar—except this one led to an entirely different realm.
Drawing Frostmourne, Garus summoned a frost wyrm beneath him, soaring into the sky.
"Mephisto!"
Upon seeing the approaching figure, Mephisto's expression darkened. This was the very human who had banished him back to Hell before.
"This time, you won't stop me. Try if you dare."
With Mephisto's confidence unwavering, Garus ordered the frost wyrm to unleash a freezing blast, but the attack passed through Mephisto harmlessly, as if he weren't even there.
Refusing to relent, Garus activated the Space Stone embedded in his sword, creating a dark spatial fissure at Mephisto's position. Yet, once again, the attack proved ineffective.
Time passed, and now, through the vortex's core, glimpses of another world could be seen—an infernal plane filled with smoldering volcanoes and rivers of molten lava. Demons lounged within the magma, basking in its heat like a luxurious bath.
Mephisto's body hovered in the liminal space between two worlds, making him immune to attacks from this side. Unless Garus entered that infernal dimension, he couldn't harm him.
There was no choice but to wait. Mephisto would have to emerge eventually; otherwise, even he would be trapped in the void of the universe forever.
Even beings as powerful as Odin dared not linger in interdimensional rifts for too long. The longer one remained, the more their power drained, increasing the risk of being swallowed by the abyss. It was said that none who had fallen into the cosmic void had ever returned—only Mephisto's avatars dared to tread such perilous ground.
In Asgard, Heimdall's gaze locked onto the anomaly on Earth. He understood the gravity of this hellish invasion—it was an event that could reshape the world's balance.
He hurried to inform Odin.
"Mephisto has long coveted the mortal realm, yet he has always failed. How did he succeed this time?" Odin pondered.
A spectral projection of Heimdall replied, "Through the Inhumans. Mephisto has acquired a body that perfectly aligns with his demonic essence. With the aid of Kree-forged Terrigen Crystals and an infernal sigil, he has torn open a planar rift and is summoning his legions. The evolution of Inhumans is random—creating another demonic Inhuman is nearly impossible, even if subjected to the same influence."
Odin hesitated briefly before declaring, "As long as it's not his true form entering our world, we can handle this. Send Thor to Earth. Let him and his Avengers deal with it—this world needs its heroes."
From beginning to end, they did not once mention Garus.
Far away, in Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One, too, noticed the rift forming over North America. However, the monastery had received an important guest that day. After some contemplation, the Sorcerer Supreme determined that the current situation would be handled. She had other matters to attend to.
"What's happening?" At the H.A.M.M.E.R. base, Norman Osborn observed the strange atmospheric phenomenon over Kansas, which was now beginning to spread across the United States. "When did this start, and what's causing it?"
A H.A.M.M.E.R. agent reported, "Director, our satellites have only just launched, so surveillance is still incomplete. We are currently investigating the site."
Osborn, who had been eager to take decisive action recently, found himself frustrated. "I don't want excuses—I want results. We need full surveillance over the entire United States immediately."
"Director Osborn, we have already deployed agents to the scene. However, we may encounter the Avengers. I suggest we avoid unnecessary conflict."
Osborn scowled. He had long desired control over the Avengers, but figures like Tony Stark, Thor, and even the Hulk and Ghost Rider were beyond his reach.
"The Avengers need oversight. I will form the Dark Avengers."
Gazing at the screen, where the infernal landscape on the other side of the rift became clearer, Osborn realized that this was the first true crisis he faced as Director. His own Green Goblin armor was still incomplete, and for now, all he had at his disposal were ordinary agents.
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