Inside a church outside New York, the smell of blood was so thick it nearly solidified.
The bodies of Christians and clergymen lay scattered across the floor. Each bore a strange blue-black hue, their skin shriveled and faces twisted, as if every ounce of vitality had been instantly drained by some unseen force.
Blackheart stood atop the pulpit, his black priest's robe spotless, his pale fingers gently stroking the cross.
At his feet, a black-robed priest knelt with his forehead pressed to the ground, trembling as he pleaded:
"Please… spare my life. I can serve you. I know many of the Church's secrets…"
Blackheart looked down at him. A flicker of disgust passed through his scarlet eyes, and he spoke coldly:
"Then tell me—do you know where the San Venganza Contract is?"
The priest shuddered and shook his head frantically.
"I—I've never heard of it! But if you need it, I can help you find it—"
"Then you're useless."
Crack!
Blackheart raised his hand and flicked his wrist. The priest's neck twisted at an impossible angle, and his body collapsed limply—just another corpse among the dead.
The church door opened silently. The Water Demon flowed in like liquid, his form more unstable than usual. Ripples constantly disturbed his surface, betraying his inner unease.
"The omnipotent Master…"
The Water Demon prostrated himself before Blackheart and spoke with uncharacteristic hesitation:
"The Earth Demon and the Wind Demon… they've disappeared."
Blackheart turned slowly, his gaze falling upon the trembling demon.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't sense their presence at all!" the Water Demon replied, his voice quavering.
"It's not banishment back to Hell… it's total annihilation."
The church fell into dead silence.
For the first time, Blackheart's expression wavered.
He descended from the pulpit, his black robe dragging across the bloodstained carpet, and asked in a low, icy voice:
"Are you certain?"
The Water Demon answered without hesitation, his tone hushed:
"How dare I lie to you, Master? My connection to them is severed—as if it never existed."
Blackheart was silent for a long moment. Then he sneered.
"That fool of an Earth Demon… He must have drawn too much attention—roused the Supreme Mage."
The Water Demon couldn't help but protest:
"But the Wind Demon has always been cautious. Even in danger, he'd find a place to hide. Yet now… even he couldn't escape."
"Hmph! No matter how careful the Wind Demon was, he couldn't compensate for the Earth Demon's stupidity. They should've acted separately."
Blackheart cut him off, a shadow of gloom flashing in his eyes.
The Water Demon shrank back slightly and asked timidly,
"Then… what do we do next?"
"The plan remains unchanged."
Blackheart strode toward the stained-glass window. Moonlight filtered through his body, casting a distorted shadow on the floor. He said:
"But you must be more careful. The Supreme Mage has moved—she's noticed us."
He paused, then added with a chilling laugh:
"If you encounter the Supreme Mage, do everything in your power to hold her back. Once I arrive… hehe… we'll eliminate her together."
However, even the Water Demon—who had been sealed away for thousands of years—disagreed with Blackheart's bold and reckless plan. He hesitated and said,
"If even the Supreme Mage intervenes, shouldn't we temporarily withdraw from the limelight…?"
"I avoid his sharp edge?!"
Blackheart's voice suddenly turned icy.
"He's just a human. No matter how strong he is, what can he truly do? Once I obtain the San Venganza contract, I'll deal with him—and that damn old man—together."
He turned to the Water Demon and spoke more slowly:
"For now… just be careful. I don't believe he can come and take me away again!"
The situation was stronger than the individual. Though the Water Demon harbored a million objections, he could only bow his head deeply and say,
"As you command, Master."
Blackheart cast one last glance at the corpses scattered across the ground, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.
"Call—!"
Black flames instantly engulfed the entire church. Blackheart stood bathed in the firelight, his pale face illuminated like a ghost.
Boom—!
Suddenly, a low engine roar echoed from the distance, growing louder and louder until it halted right before the church doors.
The sound wasn't that of an ordinary motorcycle—it resembled the growl of some primordial beast, echoing with the fury of hell and carrying the stench of sulfur.
Blackheart's pupils contracted sharply, and a sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
"You came so quickly…"
The Water Demon's body trembled slightly. He asked cautiously,
"This is…?"
"That old man's watchdog—Ghost Rider!"
Blackheart's voice was glacial.
The Water Demon's expression instantly turned grave.
Of course he'd heard of Ghost Rider—the incarnation of hellfire, the judge of sinners, a being even demons feared.
Blackheart turned to the Water Demon, a silent command flashing in his scarlet eyes.
"Go get rid of him."
The Water Demon hesitated, then asked in disbelief,
"Me, Master? But Ghost Rider's power—"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Blackheart's voice was terrifyingly soft—but it sent chills down the Water Demon's spine.
In the next instant, Blackheart dissolved into a wisp of black smoke and vanished, leaving the Water Demon alone.
Outside the church, Johnny Blaze—or rather, Ghost Rider—sat astride his Harley.
Hellfire blazed across his skeletal form, and the burning iron chains coiled around his arms glowed with searing red light.
The inferno of the burning church reflected in his eyes, the flames warping his vision as if allowing him to see through the lingering aura of evil within.
The charred corpses. The desperate souls. And… the breath of the Devil himself.
"Devil," Ghost Rider rasped, his voice like sandpaper scraping stone, thick with suppressed fury, "go back to hell…"
Suddenly, Ghost Rider snapped his head toward the lake beside the church.
Gurgle…
The calm surface began to churn violently, bubbles surging upward as though some colossal monster were about to burst forth.
BOOM—!!!
The lake exploded, and a towering water elemental—over ten meters tall—rose from the depths.
Its body was made of murky liquid, constantly shifting and distorting to reveal countless anguished human faces: the souls it had devoured.
The Water Demon's eyes burned like twin whirlpools, ready to swallow anyone who dared meet his gaze. He fixed them squarely on Ghost Rider.
"Leave now, and no one will get hurt, Knight!
This is my domain—not a place for you to meddle!"
His voice echoed like the wail of the drowned, roaring across the scorched earth.
Ghost Rider slowly dismounted his motorcycle. The chain in his hand uncoiled, hellfire racing along its length.
"You should go away, devil."
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