After speaking, Mephistopheles slowly raised his cane and then brought it down again.
Thump.
The sharp sound of the cane striking the marble floor echoed through the hall like distant thunder.
In the next instant, a dense black mist spread outward, rolling across the ground before rising to fill the entire lobby. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees as the mist thickened, swallowing every corner of the hall in an eerie darkness.
Mephistopheles chuckled calmly.
"I don't want anyone interrupting our battle," he said lightly. "Fifteen minutes should be more than enough."
Ethan Voss shrugged casually as if the ominous fog meant nothing to him. Without even turning his head, he waved his hand toward the figure standing behind him.
"Witchheart Demon," he said lazily. "Go on. Fight for your contract."
Mephistopheles' expression immediately darkened.
"The remaining number of demons will be today's commission," the devil said coldly. "If I win, you will hand over the contract after this battle."
"No problem," Ethan replied without hesitation. "After tonight's fight, I'll personally escort you to San Venganza."
The Witchheart Demon stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Mephistopheles.
"Morpheus…"
"You won't even call me father?" Mephistopheles asked quietly.
His voice carried a faint trace of disappointment.
Wu Xinmo froze.
Under the old devil's piercing gaze, he hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"I…"
Ethan rolled his eyes from behind them.
They had already betrayed each other, yet this guy was still stuck on family titles.
Just call him an old bastard already.
"…Father."
Mephistopheles lowered his eyes slightly before nodding with satisfaction.
Ethan slapped a hand over his face.
"You spineless coward."
Wu Xinmo suddenly raised his head.
"But!"
His voice grew louder.
"This will be the last time I call you father."
"You created me. You are my king, my authority, my law. But you never loved me."
His eyes burned with fierce ambition.
"Of course I don't care anymore."
"All the hardships I endured only made me stronger. Now I've grown up."
"I am young. I am powerful. I am intelligent. And my potential is limitless."
He took another step forward.
"I think it's time for me to inherit your throne."
A sinister smile spread across his face.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely rule Hell better than you ever did."
He raised both arms dramatically.
"The old king is dead. A new king shall rise!"
"For the sake of my great cause… I beg you, Father—"
"…please die."
The Witchheart Demon strode toward Mephistopheles.
Terrifying power surged from his body as the black mist of Hell condensed around him like solid smoke. Wherever he walked, the air itself twisted and warped as if space could barely contain the energy radiating from him.
The marble floor cracked softly beneath his steps.
Even time seemed to slow.
Ethan swallowed unconsciously as he watched the scene unfold.
"The old king is dead… a new king shall rise…"
"For the sake of my great cause… I beg you, Father, to die!"
Mephistopheles remained completely still.
He watched his approaching son with the calm expression of a statue.
Closer.
Closer.
The Witchheart Demon finally reached him.
His hand shot forward, clearly intending to grab the old devil by the throat.
In that exact instant—
Mephistopheles moved.
Something appeared in his hand.
With a swift flick of his wrist, he threw it directly into the Witchheart Demon's face.
The substance scattered through the air like powder.
It looked similar to lime dust, but the color was dark purple.
"Ahhh!"
The Witchheart Demon immediately clutched his face and screamed in agony.
"Bastard! What is this?!"
"My eyes!"
"My face feels like it's melting!"
He staggered backward before collapsing onto the floor.
"No… this is the Nightmare Sands!"
"No! Get away from me! You nightmares, get away!"
Covering his face desperately, the demon rolled across the floor in complete panic.
Ethan stared at the scene in stunned silence.
Mephistopheles calmly stood up and straightened his perfectly neat tie.
Looking down at his writhing son, he sighed softly.
"My son… I'm very disappointed in you."
Then he turned toward Ethan with an elegant, gentlemanly smile.
"Shall we continue?"
Ethan coughed lightly, dragging Johnny—who was equally shocked—back to reality.
Johnny stepped forward cautiously as flames flickered around his skull.
Perhaps after witnessing the Witchheart Demon's humiliating defeat, Johnny wisely avoided charging in for close combat.
Instead, he pulled the burning chain from his body.
With a violent swing, the flaming chain lashed forward like a blazing serpent, striking toward Mephistopheles.
But the elegant devil remained perfectly composed.
"I don't have only one knight," Mephistopheles said calmly. "One of them is actually an old friend of yours."
Just as the chain was about to reach him—
Bang!
A gunshot echoed through the hall.
A flaming bullet struck the base of the chain, knocking it aside.
Ethan turned his head.
From within the black mist, another Ghost Rider emerged.
He rode a skeletal horse whose hooves burned with hellfire. In his hand was a revolver, and a lasso hung from his waist.
With a wide-brimmed hat and spiked riding boots, he looked like a cowboy straight out of the Wild West—arguably even cooler than Johnny's motorcycle-riding appearance.
Carter Slade.
Ethan frowned slightly.
The old rider had hidden for decades.
Life truly was unpredictable.
Where had that old man been hiding earlier?
"I once took his power away," Mephistopheles said calmly. "But now I have returned it to him. He is my knight again."
Ethan snorted.
"Aren't you worried he'll betray you again?"
"No one has ever betrayed me."
Ethan pointed toward Carter Slade.
"That's one."
Then he pointed toward Johnny.
"That's two."
He shrugged with exaggerated innocence.
Despite the obvious mockery, Mephistopheles' smile never wavered.
"Have you forgotten what was removed from his body?" the devil asked calmly.
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"So that's why he was able to disobey your orders?"
"If that hadn't happened…"
Mephistopheles slowly produced a contract from inside his coat.
"I possess his soul," he said quietly. "How could he possibly betray me?"
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"And that old knight?"
Mephistopheles snorted coldly.
"Someone helped him."
"I won't make that mistake again."
As he finished speaking, dark magical energy surged along his arm.
Johnny suddenly groaned in pain.
The flames covering his body flickered violently as he dropped to one knee.
"Johnny!" Ethan shouted. "You can do it!"
For a brief moment, the Ghost Rider stood up again.
The fire around him burned even brighter.
"You pulled through?" Ethan asked in surprise.
Johnny didn't respond.
Instead, he slowly walked behind Mephistopheles and stood there silently with his head lowered.
Ethan covered his face.
"That's just painful to watch."
"Couldn't you at least pretend to resist a little longer?"
Mephistopheles chuckled softly.
"Don't be greedy. Every gift from fate has its price."
That's his bad luck, Ethan thought. What does it have to do with me?
He slumped back onto the sofa and stared up at the elaborate crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
"So this is your backup plan?"
He glanced lazily at Mephistopheles.
"Anything else?"
"Now it's your turn to play your card," the devil replied.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it."
"Try me."
"Alright!"
Ethan suddenly slapped his thigh and jumped to his feet.
He raised a finger dramatically and shouted.
"Come out—my Justice League!"
Silence.
Nothing happened.
Ethan's face instantly turned pale.
"You… you…"
"How could this happen?"
Mephistopheles burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"You didn't think I wouldn't know about your tricks, did you?"
"What do you know?" Ethan demanded.
Mephistopheles shook his head calmly.
"You have the ability to create portals."
"That much was obvious."
He tapped his cane lightly against the floor.
"But did you really think this black mist only exists to stop outsiders like the Ancient One from entering?"
The devil's smile widened.
"It also seals the entire space."
"For the next fifteen minutes, no one can enter… and no one can leave."
Ethan slowly sat back down.
"So what?"
"You still can't hurt me."
Mephistopheles chuckled.
"If you know there's a powerful psychic barrier protecting you… did you really think I wouldn't prepare for that?"
Ethan's expression changed again.
"What?"
"Grab him."
The moment Mephistopheles gave the command, two blazing weapons shot toward Ethan simultaneously.
A flaming chain.
And a burning lasso.
Both wrapped around the invisible telekinetic barrier surrounding him.
They couldn't penetrate the barrier directly, but they locked onto it like restraints.
Ethan immediately focused his telekinesis, attempting to shatter the weapons.
However, both Ghost Riders poured hellfire into their attacks.
The result was a complete stalemate.
Ethan stared coldly at Mephistopheles.
"Hmph. What's the point of this?"
"I can keep this up all day."
"I know," Mephistopheles said calmly.
He walked forward slowly.
"And that's why I prepared something special."
He opened his palm.
A rune glowed on his skin.
From the center of the rune, a pure black flame flickered to life.
Ethan's pupils shrank.
"What… what is that?"
"Void Devouring Flame," Mephistopheles said softly.
"The most precious and powerful fire in Hell."
The black flame pulsed hungrily.
"It can devour everything in existence."
He looked directly at Ethan.
"Your psychic barrier… is nothing more than fuel."
The devil smiled.
"It's over, Ethan Voss."
.....
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