411

The Story of the Spirit of Vengeance

After the battle, efforts began to clean the battlefield, attending to the wounded—angels, knights, and local villagers of St. Vanganza alike.

"Tell me more about the Spirit of Vengeance, Daniel," Forseti asked during a lull in the busy night, tending to a makeshift barbecue.

"God once described the Spirit of Vengeance as one of his most magnificent creations," Daniel began solemnly. "Tens of thousands of years ago, senior angels like Lord Randkiel and Lord Luther witnessed its creation firsthand. Younger angels like Malachi and me have only heard distant legends passed down."

"In an era of human ignorance, our Master, the Lord God, wandered the Earth and stumbled upon a unique race with extraordinary potential in the African grasslands."

"...He observed silently for countless years, perhaps a hundred millennia or more. He watched as humanity emerged from the wilds, establishing civilizations along river plains."

"Like most in the universe—or all races, rather—human sin grew with civilization," Daniel continued. "But God viewed them differently, believing humans could forge a remarkable future. He chose to aid nascent human civilization."

"And how did he aid them?" Forseti's interest piqued, focusing on the Spirit of Vengeance.

"A special type of soul empowered to see and judge sin," Daniel explained.

"Soul?" Forseti was intrigued. "God created such a soul?"

"Yes," Daniel nodded.

Forseti hesitated briefly. "Daniel, as a senior angel of Heaven, you know the Law of Souls is fundamental and universal. No one can truly master it."

"Perhaps," Daniel shrugged. "I don't have all the answers, but Lord Randkiel asserts as much."

He continued after a pause, "The Spirit of Vengeance can merge with humans, granting them potent abilities to judge the sins of the world."

Forseti blinked, contemplating. Wasn't this akin to the Ghost Rider?

Could the Spirit of Vengeance be the progenitor of the Ghost Rider?

"Why have I never encountered such a unique being on Earth, or even heard of it?" Forseti inquired.

"There are legends," Daniel acknowledged, "but the Spirit of Vengeance is nearly extinct. Not completely gone, but absent from the world."

"Where is the Spirit of Vengeance now?"

Daniel hesitated for a moment before answering, "Hell."

"Hell?"

"Yes, once God's proudest creation—the vengeful spirits who judged the sins of the world, dispensing justice—now all consigned to Hell," Daniel sighed. "Lord Randkiel once oversaw many such spirits. Their fall was a heavy blow."

"What caused their fall?"

Daniel shook his head sadly. "No one knows, perhaps not even God. Regardless, these vengeful spirits betrayed Heaven, joining Hell and becoming subservient to Zathanos."

"Those who fell gained some of Zathanos' power, transforming into beings torn between Heaven and Hell. Their appearances changed drastically, bodies eternally ablaze, riding hellish steeds through the inferno," Daniel recounted grimly.

Rowe now confirmed the Spirit of Vengeance indeed birthed the Ghost Rider. Many had fallen into Hell, serving Zathanos as enforcers.

This Zathanos bore a personal grudge, evoking the hand for retribution...

"Why did God not intervene to prevent the Spirit of Vengeance from betraying Heaven?" Rowe pressed.

"He never..."

Daniel shook his head, his expression clouding. "Our Master has been absent for eons, a time beyond measure."

With that, Daniel abruptly changed the subject. "Forseti, I must admit your barbecue skills are great . Maybe ' barbecue god' was real title bestowed upon you by Odin himself."

"You're onto something there," Ander chimed in with a smile.

Late into the night, Rowe, still awake, leaned against a rock, pondering Daniel's account of the Spirit of Vengeance.

"Ghost Rider..." he murmured.

At that moment, a faint noise crossed the sky, fleeting yet discernible.

Though subtle, Forseti detected it, his extensive aerial experience identifying it as the wake of someone speeding away.

Activating his Eye of Reckoning, he scanned the skies.

The figure had vanished into the distance, leaving only a faint crimson trail in the radiance.

Crimson?

Forseti frowned.

The figure had flown from behind—a speed reserved for few. Instantly, his suspicions centered on the most likely candidate.

Malachi—the fallen angel.

At this hour, why would he slink away?

Forseti contemplated pursuit, but Malachi's speed and distance precluded immediate action.

Above, an angel in azure armor streaked across the heavens, leaving ghostly trails in his wake. His aloof countenance betrayed none of the turmoil within.

"Boom!"

Yet, upon landing, a spear hurtled from the shadows, its formidable might tearing a crater in the earth.

Swift reflexes saved Malachi, the spear lacking lethal intent.

"Kazan, what is the meaning of this?" Malachi's expression darkened, confronting the looming figure.

"You ask me?" Kazan's voice dripped with disdain, stepping forth from the darkness.

Unlike other demons, Kazan lacked horns and hooves, his handsome visage belying his monstrous nature.

Snatching the spear from the ground effortlessly, he addressed Malachi, "You must explain why my forces suffered such heavy losses today. It wasn't part of the plan, brother."