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Ch. 320 I'm Just a Nameless Pawn
🕑 Added 2024-03-11 16:00:06 +0000 UTCUnlike the demons that Russell and Doom had just defeated, Mephisto did not reveal his demonic form. Instead, he appeared before them in a human guise.
He was impeccably dressed in a suit, with perfectly groomed white hair, and held a black cane in his hand.
In terms of appearance, Mephisto now looked like a quintessential British aristocrat. It wasn't just about clothing but also about posture and demeanor.
However, Russell and Doom didn't let their guard down because of Mephisto's appearance.
They knew better than to relax their vigilance, even if Mephisto appeared before them in the image of Marilyn Monroe.
In the Marvel Universe, Mephisto was undoubtedly the most infamous devil of Hell.
While not many had seen him in person, there were plenty who had heard his name.
Mephisto's reputation was indeed significant, but in the rumors about him, he was not renowned for his overwhelming combat prowess. The stories and data about Mephisto mostly described his cunning and guile.
Upon hearing Mephisto's words, Doom snorted disdainfully.
Then, he slowly spoke, "In the previous gambles, I summoned your projection to the mortal realm."
"This time, I intend to meet your true self."
Doom had been trying to save his mother's soul from Mephisto for quite some time. Although he hadn't succeeded yet, he had dealt with Mephisto on numerous occasions.
If Russell remembered correctly, there was an annual gamble between Doom and Mephisto.
He wasn't sure how long this gamble had been going on, but he knew that Doom had never won. The prize for the gamble was Doom's mother's soul.
To ensure Doom's cooperation, Mephisto had even signed a fair agreement with no tricks.
"You couldn't even defeat my projection, yet you have the confidence to defeat my true self."
"Don't forget, in Hell, I can unleash my full power without holding back."
Mephisto smiled, as if mocking Doom's overconfidence.
"I alone may not be sufficient, so I brought a helper!"
Doom said with unwavering confidence.
"A helper?"
"Do you really think this young lad can challenge me?"
"In the mortal realm, his power might be decent, but in Hell..."
Mephisto had initially intended to mention that devils with power like Russell's were a dime a dozen, but as he began to sense Russell's strength more seriously, he discovered something he hadn't noticed initially.
Divine Sun Power?
Mephisto sensed the presence of Divine Sun Power hidden within Russell.
"I see, you're an Divine Sun Power awakener!"
"Young man, what's your name?"
Upon discovering that Russell possessed Divine Sun Power, Mephisto finally took a keen interest in him.
While Divine Sun Power might not be the same as the sacred power of Heaven, there were many similarities between the two. One significant aspect was their shared ability to strongly counteract the forces of Hell.
"I'm just a nameless pawn. My name is of no consequence."
Russell replied calmly.
He didn't come to Hell to make friends with Mephisto. While he had sent many enemies to Hell in the past, it didn't mean he had any fondness for the place.
"Divine Sun Power awakener are not mere nameless pawns."
"If you're unwilling to reveal your name, then so be it."
"After your soul falls into my hands, you'll willingly provide your name."
Mephisto didn't concern himself with Russell's lack of cooperation. In his view, this was the attitude that a Divine Power awakener should have. If someone lacked this level of pride, they wouldn't awaken their Divine Power, especially the dominantly powerful Divine Sun Power.
After taking his gaze off Russell, Mephisto turned his attention to Johnny, who was trapped inside the cylindrical barrier.
"So, are you going to continue chatting, or shall we have a proper fight?"
Without waiting for Doom to speak, Russell addressed Mephisto.
Although he wasn't in a hurry, having the opportunity to battle a Skyfathers level being excited him greatly.
Mephisto was the third Skyfathers level being he had encountered so far.
The first was, of course, his magic mentor, the Ancient One.
While the Ancient One was also a Skyfathers level being, it was evident that the Ancient One had no intention of fighting him. Unless he intended to become a god like Dormammu, the Ancient One couldn't be bothered with him, even if he aimed to become the Earth's dictator.
The second was the All-Father, Odin.
Although he wasn't very familiar with Odin and hadn't interacted with him much, Odin, like the Ancient One, had no plans to harm him. Moreover, Russell had a hidden collaboration with Odin that only the two of them knew about.
Both the Ancient One and Odin wouldn't harm him, and Russell had no desire to provoke them needlessly.
Therefore, Mephisto had become the only Skyfathers level being he had a chance to confront.
In terms of power, Russell had already reached the threshold of the Sub Skyfathers level, just one step away from becoming a Skyfathers. However, that last half-step was more significant than all the previous ones combined.
Crossing this half-step was akin to a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, a single step to ascend to greatness, or failing to do so would leave him forever as a mere carp, struggling in the mortal realm.
Mephisto didn't answer Russell's words; instead, he cast a displeased look at him. Although it was just a glance, Mephisto demonstrated why Skyfathers level beings far surpassed Earth's divine-level beings with tangible pressure.
When Mephisto looked at him, Russell felt an immensely powerful aura pressing down on him. What should have been merely a mental pressure felt like a tangible force because of Mephisto's Skyfathers status.
Furthermore, as Mephisto's aura descended upon Russell, the Hellish aura that permeated every corner of Hell responded to Mephisto's presence and surged toward Russell, accompanying the tangible pressure.
So, this was what it meant to be a Skyfathers?
Although the pressure from Mephisto's aura and the Hellish aura simultaneously bore down on him, Russell's expression remained as calm as ever. Underestimating him by relying solely on his aura to suppress Russell's fighting spirit would be a grave mistake.
As Mephisto gazed at him, Russell took a step forward. At the same time, he radiated a golden light, reminiscent of the sun.
Sun Halo!
Russell didn't hesitate; he immediately activated his Sun Halo. During his battle with Captain Marvel, he had once unleashed the Sun Halo, securing his victory.
Now, he unleashed the Sun Halo once more.
For characters like Captain Marvel and Captain America, the main threat posed by the Sun Halo was its scorching high temperatures, akin to the sun. However, for Mephisto, a devil of Hell, the damage from high temperatures was less significant than the harm from freezing.
Nevertheless, Russell didn't expect the high temperature aspect of the Sun Halo to damage Mephisto. What he wanted was the purifying effect of the Sun Halo.
When Russell first awakened the Divine Sun Power, he had imprinted several key abilities onto it. One of these key abilities was purification, specifically targeting evil and corrupted forces.
The reason the Divine Sun Power was so domineering was due to its unique form of purification, distinct from traditional purifying methods. Anything tainted by the Divine Sun Power, as determined by Russell, would be labeled as evil and corrupted, and the Divine Sun Power would unceremoniously expel it.
Unlike the previous instance, Russell expanded the range of the Divine Sun Power to several kilometers. Within the Sun Halo's range, the Hellish aura that filled every corner of Hell was forcefully expelled, akin to a hurricane dispersing smoke.
As the Hellish aura in the air was dispersed by the Divine Sun Power, it was like dissipating smoke. However, Mephisto, being the ruler of Hell, emitted a powerful Hellish aura and demonic energy from within himself.
If the Hellish aura in the air was merely scattered like smoke, then what Mephisto faced was a direct and overwhelming impact, akin to being struck by a battering ram.
The clothing Mephisto conjured using demonic energy on his person ignited. His human facade began to dissipate, revealing his red-skinned true form.
Upon realizing that the Sun Halo was more domineering than he had anticipated, Mephisto displayed a displeased expression.
He then raised the black cane in his hand and forcefully slammed it into the ground.
The clothing that had been burning just a moment ago quickly returned to its original state.
The red skin and the pointed horns on display also disappeared once more.
Mephisto transformed back into the image of the classic British aristocrat.
Although he resisted the effects of the Sun Halo on himself, Mephisto could only maintain the area immediately around him as normal.
The strange town they were in started to disappear, revealing the scorched ground with flowing lava beneath.
Russell unleashed the Sun Halo, creating what seemed like an arena, perfectly suited for their battle.
Within the confines of the Sun Halo's coverage, there was nothing visible except the three of them.
"You are stronger than I anticipated, but if this is all you've got, none of you will leave here today," Mephisto calmly remarked.
"Is that so?" Russell replied with a smile.
Simultaneously, he retrieved the "deposit" given to him by Doom from his system space.
The Holy Cross!
A Holy Cross from Heaven!
Upon seeing the golden Holy Cross in Russell's hand, Mephisto's expression turned serious. Though he didn't know how Russell had acquired the Holy Cross, as the Lord of Hell, he instantly recognized its heavenly origin.
While the Holy Cross might not exude a potent divine power, it was, without a doubt, a creation from Heaven.
"It seems like you've made quite a few preparations for this encounter. In that case, I should take this more seriously," Mephisto said.
As he spoke, a pair of wings, not too extravagant but exuding a strong presence, emerged behind Mephisto.
In addition to these wings, a devilishly triangular tail appeared behind him, which was akin to a demonic symbol.
Furthermore, Mephisto willingly abandoned his recent human form, revealing his demonic visage.
Sharp fangs, horns, dark red skin, and slitted, snake-like pupils.
Mephisto didn't fully reveal his demonic form, showing only a portion of it. However, this partial transformation altered his aura significantly, making it markedly different from before.
Feeling the sudden surge in Mephisto's aura, Russell and Doom exchanged a quick glance.
Then, both of them launched an attack on Mephisto simultaneously.
The Holy Sword!
Russell reached into thin air with his right hand, conjuring a golden double-handed sword as if plucking it from the void.
Although his system space contained Diana's Sword of Athena and Lasso of Truth, at this moment, Russell wanted to confront Mephisto using his own Divine Sun Power.
Like a laser made of golden light, Russell instantly appeared before Mephisto.
The Holy Sword, formed of sunlight, struck at Mephisto's head like lightning.
Facing Russell's overwhelming strike, Mephisto did not flinch or evade. He stood his ground, lifting his black cane to parry the Holy Sword.
However, at this critical moment, Mephisto felt a chaotic gravitational force enveloping him.
Gravity Swamp!
Doom hadn't engaged Mephisto in close combat like Russell did; instead, he remained in place, casting magic.
While the Gravity Swamp was considered high-level magic, using it against Mephisto, a Lord of Hell, seemed insufficient.
However, Doom's true intention wasn't to attack Mephisto with the Gravity Swamp; it was to assist Russell's attack.
The chaotic shifts in gravity distorted Mephisto's movements involuntarily. In close-quarters combat like this, even a slight distortion or delay in movement could be seized upon by an opponent.
Then, without wasting the opportunity created by Doom's interference, Russell's wrist turned, causing the Holy Sword, now infused with Divine Sun Power, to change its trajectory and strike at Mephisto's neck.
Swoosh!
The Holy Sword, formed of Divine Sun Power, sliced across Mephisto's neck, leaving a visible and sizable wound.
If Mephisto were an ordinary demon, this strike alone could have decapitated him.
However, it was evident that Mephisto was not one of those ordinary demons who couldn't even withstand a single blow from Russell.
Although influenced by the chaotic gravitational force, Mephisto still managed to step back slightly, turning what could have been a decapitating blow into a mere slash across his neck.
Moreover, despite the massive wound on his neck and the influx of Divine Sun Power from the Holy Sword, not a drop of blood flowed from Mephisto's injury.
Under the gaze of Russell and Doom, the wound on Mephisto's neck rapidly healed, as if it had never been injured in the first place.
