"It's an unforgettable scent."
A raspy voice echoed through the broken ruins of what used to be a city block.
Wesley, who by all accounts should have been dead, slowly emerged from the debris. His skin was pale as moonlight, and his eyes—dark and hollow—radiated an unnatural fear. Whatever had returned was no longer fully human.
"Tsk tsk," Wesley muttered, placing a hand on the gaping wound in his chest. "What a pity... I went through so much trouble to get this body, and now it's ruined."
With a simple wave of his hand, ghostly orbs of gray-white light began floating toward him from the rubble nearby. Inside each orb, faint transparent figures curled up in slumber—souls of the dead, extracted from what remained of the fallen.
"The quality is flawed," he sneered, smirking with a sick satisfaction. One by one, he swallowed them, as if enjoying candy. His mouth twisted unnaturally with each bite.
"But..." He paused, his gaze shifting to a boy fighting furiously in the distance. His eyes gleamed with greedy obsession. "That boy's soul... his strength... so pure. He reminds me of her. If I could just consume him..."
His smile widened. It twisted into a grotesque image of hunger and ambition.
Just as he was lost in his grotesque fantasy, a cold, female voice interrupted him from above.
"Tsk. So it's you. All this effort... just to find a test subject?"
Startled, Wesley's twisted face flinched. He whipped his head around—his instincts screamed—and there she was.
Bella.
She stood tall and composed atop a fractured steel beam, her presence impossible to ignore. White belts secured her shorts, and black leather boots gripped her legs. A short black jacket fluttered over a fitted undershirt, and her long blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that danced in the wind.
With piercing eyes and unshakable calm, Bella tilted her head.
"As the so-called mighty king of demons," she said mockingly, "sneaking around like this feels a bit off-brand. Or is this just what demons are at their core? Cowards in disguise?"
Wesley's confidence faltered. Though he wore a different body, his true nature was that of Mephisto, the demon lord who had laid countless traps across worlds—especially Earth.
Bella had sensed something was wrong long before she arrived. Her intuition had been right. Mephisto had indeed been scheming on Earth for centuries. The Brotherhood of Mutual Aid, now known as the League of Assassins, was just one of the demon's ancient pawns.
"He's been planning this for thousands of years," Bella thought to herself. "This is only one of his games... there are definitely more."
Mephisto didn't deny the accusation. Instead, he smiled, trying once more to use his forked tongue to manipulate.
"I'm not the only one who covets this world," he said smoothly. "You remember the Chitauri invasion, don't you?"
"When the Sorcerer Supreme and Odin pass from this world... who will be left to protect Earth?"
He paced forward, voice lowering, like a serpent coiling around its prey. "Conquest and bloodshed will follow. Humanity will fall—either dead or enslaved."
He looked into Bella's eyes, voice dripping with false kindness. "But you, Goddess of Judgment, you can avoid this fate. Join us. Join Hell. You'll become second only to me. Above all else."
It was a classic offer—power, position, and protection—disguised as salvation.
But Bella didn't budge. She chuckled coldly. "Give it a rest, Mephisto. Even if I weren't here, there would still be someone to stop your little demon horde."
What she didn't say aloud was this: "I just want to kill you."
Her rejection was clear. Her defiance, louder than any spell. Mephisto's eyes darkened. The smile vanished. He had been mocked, rejected, and exposed—again.
This woman... was immovable.
More than that, she was powerful. Not long ago, she had destroyed one of his soul projections—even when it summoned a meteorite from beyond the stars.
Now, her strength was even greater. And his current form couldn't match her, not even close.
But Mephisto didn't show it. In his heart, however, he made a silent vow: "One day... I'll open the gates of Hell myself and break you. You'll crawl at my feet, kissing the ground, licking the dust off my boots."
The hatred was buried deep, but Bella sensed it anyway.
She had studied soul magic at Kamar-Taj, the sanctum of the Sorcerers. To her, Mephisto's seething rage was like a torch in the dark—impossible to hide.
Suddenly, the clouds above parted with a roar.
A silver figure tore through the night sky, glinting like lightning, and Bella turned her gaze upward calmly.
From within the flying silver suit, a familiar voice crackled.
"Sir," said J.A.R.V.I.S., "we are approximately two kilometers from the detected energy source."
Inside the helmet, Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, narrowed his eyes.
"What've you got for me?"
"Based on the data," J.A.R.V.I.S. responded, "there's a four-meter demon engaged in combat with a teenage male wielding a silver cross-shaped sword. Judging by impact force and battlefield damage, both fighters exhibit strength exceeding five tons."
Tony whistled. "Looks like we've got ourselves a new superhero. Who's the kid?"
"Name: Sanjid. Of Hispanic and Oceanian descent. Originally from Arizona. Two months ago, his home was destroyed in a mysterious explosion—likely tied to his Awakening. He was wanted for a time but disappeared. He resurfaced in New York three days ago. S.H.I.E.L.D. has since cleared his name."
Tony chuckled. "Interesting..."
BOOM!
Tony hovered over the battlefield, watching the high-speed collision below.
Sanjid—only a teenager—was going blow for blow with a creature born from nightmares. Demons versus humans. It was better than any blockbuster.
The kid's movements were precise. His blade glowed with holy energy as he clashed with the hulking monster. Every strike sent shockwaves through the ground.
Tony noticed something odd though—Bella and Mephisto weren't showing up on sensors.
Not far away, the battle between Sanjid and the demon raged on.
With explosive speed, Sanjid drove his knee into the demon's face, staggering it. As it reeled, he raised his sword to end the fight—but the demon's instincts kicked in.
A violent clash ensued. Sparks flew. Rocks shattered.
From a rooftop, Bella observed with interest. Despite everything, she stayed still. This wasn't her fight... not yet.
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