418

Ghost Rider

"Hush, this time you're finished!" There was a stir outside the cave, followed by several demons rushing in first.

Forseti swung the Demon Slayer Sword, reducing several low-level demons to ash.

But it was evident that more were chasing Hush. Soon, the cave filled with countless demons.

Forseti turned and charged forward. The Demon Slayer Sword cleaved through the horde like a tempest, dispatching hundreds of demons in moments. Their demise fed him with a steady flow of energy, replenishing his divine mana.

"Crash!"

Suddenly, a chain of flaming fire shot into the cave with incredible speed, resembling a swimming snake, ready to ensnare Forseti.

He swiftly dodged.

"Boom!" Shortly after, a skeletal figure engulfed in flames crashed into the cave atop a mammoth-like beast.

The flaming mammoth, seemingly one with its rider, shook the narrow cave violently with its impact, sending gravel flying and threatening collapse.

Facing the flaming beast rider before him, Forseti couldn't help but be surprised.

Ghost Rider?

Though the mount differed from Johnny's in later years, what else could this flaming skull be but Ghost Rider?

"Who are you, and what's your connection to Hush?" The Ghost Rider demanded coldly, flames dancing atop his skull.

"Hush? You mean him?" Forseti pointed to the corpulent devil behind him. "I don't know him."

"If you don't know him, don't interfere here—unless you wish to die!" warned Ghost Rider.

"Death? I think not." Forseti used the Eye of Reckoning to gauge Ghost Rider's strength—level six, no threat to him. "Though I don't know Hush yet, I'd be keen to meet him."

"Then go to hell!" Flames erupted from Ghost Rider's skull as he tightened the reins.

"Roar!" The mammoth bellowed, charging at the cave again.

Forseti's expression remained unchanged. He leaped, his cloak billowing, and swung the Demon Slayer Sword at the skull of the Ghost Rider.

The Ghost Rider whipped his chain, the flames forming a shield in front of him.

"Boom!"

The Demon Slayer Sword struck the shield, causing the chains to scatter. But they swiftly regrouped, closing in on Forseti from all sides and tightening around him.

Forseti extended his hand and pulled on the chain, almost yanking the Ghost Rider off balance. Yet the Ghost Rider quickly wrapped the other end around the giant mammoth, leveraging the beast's power to resist Forseti's pull.

Seeing this, Forseti's Sulfuron Warhammer transformed into flames, merging with his arm. He yanked on the chain again with fiery resolve.

"Boom!" Empowered by the Sulfuron Warhammer, even the mammoth couldn't withstand Forseti's strength and crashed to the ground.

Forseti ascended along the chain, appearing before the Ghost Rider and thrusting the Demon Slayer Sword.

Judgment!

The Demon Slayer Sword pierced the Ghost Rider's chest, releasing a surge of holy light.

"Ah!" The Ghost Rider trembled, flames on his body flickering violently. He roared in pain, the sound echoing through the sky.

The flames dimmed, revealing the Ghost Rider's exhausted human form.

Forseti hesitated, then withdrew the Demon Slayer Sword.

The Ghost Rider, now back in human form, collapsed. He struggled to his feet, holding his head, eyes clouded with confusion. He murmured, "What... What happened... God..."

Forseti asked, "Don't you remember what just happened?"

The Ghost Rider looked up, meeting Forseti's gaze, then touched his forehead. "No, I remember... We were supposed to be fighting... But it was Zatanos' command. I shouldn't be here. I'm human, from Earth."

"You're human too?" He seemed dazed and weak.

Forseti nodded. "Almost. What's your name?"

"You can call me Glade," the Ghost Rider replied, sitting on the ground, a distant look in his eyes.

"Glade, as a human, why are you here in hell? From what I know, you're bonded with a spirit of vengeance—a servant of the Lord—so why are you here?" Forseti inquired.

"Yes, the spirit of vengeance is God's creation. I served in Heaven, following Archangel Dekir's orders," Glade explained slowly. "But then Zatanos seized control and sent almost all spirits of vengeance to hell, enslaving us under this demon lord."

Forseti asked, "How did Zatanos manage to control you?"

Glade shook his head. "I don't know. Since entering hell, my memories have been hazy, like a dream. I watched myself become Zatanos' lackey."

As if recalling something, Glade suddenly looked up and asked, "How did you break Zatanos' control just now?"

Break his control? Was it the power of Holy Light?

That seemed the only plausible explanation, Forseti thought.

Glade blinked, then rushed towards Forseti, speaking earnestly. "My brothers are still under Zatanos' control. Please help them break free of the devil's grasp! I implore you, for God's sake!"

"For God?" Forseti shook his head.

As an Aesir, he was a pariah everywhere in hell, especially after clashing with Lucifer. Getting entangled with Zatanos would only complicate matters.

Moreover, even if Zatanos released the Ghost Riders, Forseti couldn't simply whisk them away.

"Please," Glade pleaded. "My brothers have languished here for centuries, trapped without hope of salvation—even by Heaven. Perhaps only you can free them."

Sensing Forseti's reluctance, Glade added, "If you can free them from Zatanos' control, together we can defeat him."

Forseti remained silent, contemplating. "What's the backstory of this demon named Hush? Why is Zatanos hunting him down?"

Glade gazed at Hush. "He's a detective in hell."

"A detective in hell?" Forseti was taken aback.

"Yes," Glade confirmed. "Hush is the most renowned detective here, currently investigating Zatanos' secrets and the spirits of vengeance. Zatanos wants him eliminated."