The tornado raged for more than ten breaths before finally losing strength.
Blackheart had long been carried high into the air.
When the storm dispersed, his massive body dropped like a meteor.
He crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact.
Deep, bone-revealing wounds covered him.
Lava-colored blood oozed from each gash, and his demonic form looked barely alive.
Lucas raised a hand—
the Ultimate Divine Blade flew back into his palm.
Sword in hand, he walked toward Blackheart, ready to take off his head in a single strike.
"Who goes there?"
Lucas twitched an ear toward a sound.
He instantly raised his gun and aimed in that direction.
From the shadows, an elderly man in a suit stepped out.
His cane tapped rhythmically against the ground—
a refined, old-world gentleman.
"Whatever else he is, he is still my son. Spare his life."
The newcomer was Mephisto—appearing only through soul projection.
"Mephisto?"
Lucas asked coldly, the barrel still trained on him.
"You know me? Let me guess… you were the one who broke the Ghost Rider's memory seal?"
Mephisto's voice dripped with velvety confidence.
Lucas shook his head.
"No. That power wasn't yours."
Mephisto frowned slightly.
Indeed—Lucas carried no trace of that familiar, intimate force he was searching for.
The energy within Lucas was uniquely wild and destructive.
Suddenly, the nearby ruins exploded.
The Ghost Rider strode out of the flames.
The moment he saw Mephisto, he shrieked and charged at him.
"Still struggling after all these years?"
Mephisto lazily lifted a hand.
An invisible force seized the Ghost Rider mid-rush.
"If you had reclaimed your former strength, perhaps you'd intimidate me.
But as you are now… you're nothing more than a slightly larger ant."
He flicked his wrist.
The Ghost Rider was hurled backward, smashing through three buildings before collapsing.
The flames died, revealing Johnny, unconscious.
"Johnny!"
Roxanne sprinted into the rubble, sobbing.
She checked him anxiously, finally relieved to feel a faint pulse.
But she refused to let go—staring daggers at Mephisto.
He paid her glare no mind.
To him, she was simply another soul.
"You possess an unusual power," Mephisto said, turning to Lucas.
"But you are still no match for me.
Hand over my useless son and the Contract of San Venganza, and in return—
I'll spare your soul from torment."
Lucas snorted.
"Are you senile? Even if you came here in your real body, I'd still pound you into the floor so hard your own kid wouldn't recognize you."
Mephisto blinked.
The human dared speak like that to him?
Lucas rolled his eyes.
Please. Acting tough? Anyone can do it.
You wet yourself when you saw the Ancient One, didn't you?
And if Wanda shows up with full Chaos Magic, you'd be kneeling and calling her Auntie.
Mephisto's expression darkened.
"It seems I've been away from Earth too long…
You mortals have forgotten who I am."
A colossal demonic phantom manifested behind him—
Mephisto's true form—red eyes blazing, oppressive power flooding the air.
The crushing aura swept toward Lucas like a storm.
Lucas didn't budge.
Violet energy lit his eyes—
and a gigantic phantom rose behind him as well, matching Mephisto in size.
An elderly figure in a long violet robe, wielding a twisted black staff like an ancient branch.
A beard reaching past his knees.
Eyes glowing like living lightning.
A presence overflowing with world-shattering thunder—
Ramuh, Lucas's second summoned Eidolon.
Mephisto froze.
The power from that apparition…
It was not inferior to his own.
The destructive storm-force reminded him of an ancient rival.
"Hmph. Parlor tricks."
Mephisto slammed his palm to the ground.
Darkness erupted like two massive hands rushing toward Lucas.
Lucas countered—
lightning exploded outward, violet arcs meeting the darkness head-on.
BOOM—!
The earth beneath them shattered.
The clash produced no sound—
only a devastating shockwave ripping through the town.
Mephisto's expression lost its arrogance.
The young human before him possessed strength far beyond expectations.
And clearly—Lucas wasn't even using his full power.
Had Mephisto's true body come, Lucas might not yet be a match—
but this was only a soul projection, barely a tenth of his real strength.
He couldn't win.
"Very well. You have earned my acknowledgment.
Keep the Contract for now.
But sooner or later, I will return for it myself.
I hope when that day comes… you will still be entertaining."
He had no intention of prolonging this.
The Contract of San Venganza could not be recovered today.
With a heavy strike of his palm, darkness surged—
wrapping around his nearly-decapitated son.
In an instant, both vanished.
Lucas raised a middle finger toward the fading darkness.
"Talking big is easy. Try sticking around next time!"
Johnny, knocked out moments earlier, finally stirred awake.
Being the Ghost Rider, he was nearly unkillable; injuries like these were trivial.
Supported by Roxanne, he pushed himself upright.
"Where… where is he?"
"Gone. Spouted a bunch of threats on the way out.
I didn't bother listening."
Lucas shrugged.
"Oh—right. Here."
He pulled out the Contract and tossed it to Johnny.
"You keep it. I'm afraid I'll get curious and open the damn thing."
Johnny pocketed it without hesitation.
Just like Carter Slade had said, the Contract needed to be hidden—permanently.
"What do you plan to do with it?"
Johnny thought for a moment.
"I'm going to the Vatican.
I'll hand it over to them and have it sealed away forever."
"You're not afraid they'll figure out what you are?"
" I'll explain everything."
Lucas shrugged.
"Fine by me."
The Spirit of Vengeance originated from Heaven.
Those Vatican zealots wouldn't throw Johnny in a dungeon… probably.
Soon after, the three parted ways.
Lucas could tell Johnny and Roxanne had several "multi-billion-dollar personal projects" to take care of,
so he hopped onto Onion and took off—
leaving the reunited couple to do whatever they pleased.
On the way back, dawn had just broken.
Lucas slowed down to watch the sunrise wash the world in gold.
The light reflected off him too, warm and brilliant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 20 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
Patreon - Twilight_scribe1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you enjoyed Marvel Manifestor, please give it a Power Stone and leave a review! Your support means everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~