A hand suddenly grabbed Kino by the wrist and violently pulled him inside.
"Oh my God!"
Pepper covered her mouth in shock, her face filled with disbelief.
Natasha's pupils shrank. What was that hand?
Pamela held Damian in her arms, her worried gaze fixed in the direction where Kino had disappeared.
Damian, too, looked at the spot where Kino vanished, his expression full of concern.
"It's okay, Pepper."
Tony remained calm, gently wrapping his arm around Pepper's shoulder to comfort her.
A Few Minutes Ago
"Help me put on a show, Tony..."
"Can't it wait? Let me finish making my new armor..."
"No, I hate rats. I can't sleep peacefully unless I get rid of them..."
"Thank you..."
"No problem. It seems like they are coming for me... Here, take this. You might need it."
"A ring?"
On the other side, Kino opened his eyes to find himself in a blood-red palace. The walls seemed to be oozing fresh blood, and the air was thick with the stifling stench of iron.
Before him stood a tall, twisted demon with crimson skin and jet-black hair. Its aura was suffocating, radiating an overwhelming sense of dread.
"Welcome, new Lord of Hell, Kino."
Mephisto sat upon his throne, gazing down at Kino with a look of amusement and greed.
Kino smirked slightly, his gaze unwavering as he met Mephisto's eyes without a trace of fear.
Mephisto was surprised by Kino's reaction. He was too calm, too composed—nothing like someone who had just arrived in hell.
But it didn't matter. This was his domain. No one could escape his grasp here.
"Serve the feast," Mephisto ordered.
Soon, grotesque demons filed into the hall, carrying trays of food. They placed one dish after another in front of Kino.
Steaming human brains, soup filled with eyeballs that still seemed to move, roasted limbs with twitching muscle fibers—everything laid out was nothing less than a demon's banquet.
"A distinguished guest deserves a fine meal. Please, enjoy."
A rotting corpse, covered in writhing maggots, set the tableware in front of Kino. A few maggots fell onto the table, squirming near Kino's plate.
Mephisto leaned back in his throne, arms crossed, watching with a sly grin, expecting Kino to show disgust.
Kino's lips twitched. He spoke in his mind.
Venom, do you want some brain soup?
[Are you insane? Just hold on. I'm almost done searching.]
I don't think I can take much more of this.
[Stay strong. When we get back, Pamela can help you wash your eyes.]
Fine. I'll endure it a little longer.
"Let's get to the point, Mephisto!"
Kino didn't even glance at the disgusting meal. His sharp gaze locked onto Mephisto, his voice laced with impatience.
"Hand over your Hell Core, the one that allows passage to the human world."
Mephisto's crimson eyes gleamed with greed, as if he had already secured his prize.
A faint demonic presence had appeared on Earth, bypassing the planet's three great magical barriers. That alone was enough to catch his attention.
He had sent his avatar to investigate and found footage of a human summoning demons in the mortal realm. Long ago, Hell had shattered into fragments due to a catastrophe. Mephisto had obtained one such piece and became a Hell Lord.
Now, another fragment had surfaced in a human's possession, allowing them to summon demons freely on Earth. If he could claim it and link his Hell to this fragment, he could use it as a gateway to invade the mortal realm and harvest souls at will.
Moreover, his power would remain unaffected. Even the mighty Ancient One might struggle to stop him.
But after searching tirelessly, he found no trace of that human's aura.
Even that person's residence was protected by an unusual power, barring him from entry.
Left with no choice, he turned to Obadiah.
"So, you used Obadiah to lure me out because of this?" Kino asked.
"Exactly. His hatred attracted me. But he was useless. He couldn't even utilize a tenth of the Spirit of Vengeance's power."
Mephisto scoffed in disdain.
"He really was weak. If he had used even half of its power, Tony's Apollo Armor might not have been enough to beat him."
Kino's eyes held a hint of disappointment. "Ghost Riders have Wolverine-level regeneration, yet he treated it like a one-time revival token. He really lowered the standard."
"Give me your Hell, and when I rule the Earth, I will share it with you."
Mephisto's expression was sincere, but his words dripped with deception.
"Really? How about we sign a contract?" Kino asked, smirking.
"..."
Mephisto was momentarily speechless. He was always the one deceiving others into signing contracts. Now, someone was offering him one? It caught him off guard.
Mephisto's face darkened. His crimson eyes burned with menace.
"Kino, think carefully. You are in my Hell. Your life and death are in my hands. With a mere snap of my fingers, you will suffer eternal torment, never escaping!"
He spread his arms wide. A sinister force radiated from him, making the entire Hell tremble in response.
[Found it. Take him down!]
"I've had enough of you!"
Kino snapped. He flipped the table over and smashed the rotting corpse beside him into pulp.
With explosive force, he shot forward like an arrow, launching himself at Mephisto without hesitation.
"Foolishness."
Mephisto sneered, raising his hand to grab Kino, his fingers crackling with demonic energy.
However, the moment they clashed—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the palace. A crimson figure crashed through the throne, soaring skyward like a meteor, sending shockwaves through the air.
The demons in Hell stared in utter disbelief as their lord was blasted away like a ragdoll.
"Impossible! How can you possess such power?!"
Mephisto barely managed to stabilize himself mid-air, his robes torn, his hair disheveled, his face filled with shock.
A Hell Lord's strength was tied to Hell itself. The longer they were away, the weaker they became. But Kino defied this rule.
Suspended in the air, Kino stared down at Mephisto with icy contempt.
"Did you really think I was just another Hell Lord? I am a Demon King!"
"Arrogant! This is my Hell!"
Mephisto roared in fury. A crimson light descended from the sky, pressing down on Kino like an unstoppable force, crushing him back toward the ground.
This was the weight of Hell itself—a pressure as heavy as countless mountains.
"So heavy...!"
The ground beneath Kino cracked and shattered as he struggled under the immense force.
Quote of the Chapter:
"Hell is not a place you are sent to; it is a place you create for yourself."
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