Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

Hearing those words, Johnny's pupils slightly contracted, but he quickly masked his reaction with a forced laugh.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand."

His feigned ignorance was painfully transparent. Han Yu found the act tedious and was about to "force him back to his true form" when the bar's door was pushed open. A group of menacing individuals entered, scanning the room as though looking for someone.

The leader of the group surveyed the bar, and his gaze quickly landed on Han Yu's group—specifically, on Johnny.

Having found their target, they began walking toward him.

"Who are they? They don't look like your friends," Han Yu muttered softly.

Johnny didn't respond. Han Yu turned to look at him and saw his expression grow serious. Clearly, the arrival of these men was not a good sign for Johnny.

In a few strides, the men reached Han Yu's group. The leader, a white man, bowed slightly in a surprisingly courteous manner and said,

"Excuse us, gentlemen, but we need to have a word with your friend behind you."

For someone to make Johnny so uneasy, they were clearly not ordinary people. Han Yu glanced at Johnny, then at the white man, and after a moment of thought, asked,

"Are you Blackheart?"

The white man's smile froze. His brow furrowed slightly as he lowered his voice.

"Who are you?"

Han Yu ignored him and instead turned to Johnny.

"I'll take care of him. In return, you help me find Mephisto. Deal?"

Both Johnny and Blackheart visibly froze at the mention of that name.

"The person we're looking for is Mephisto? Are you planning to sign some kind of contract with him? I've heard he's not exactly a benevolent figure," Loki interjected, surprised.

The name Mephisto was one Loki had heard from Odin. Mephisto, a lord of Hell, ruled over the realm of the dead. He was a powerful demon renowned for capturing souls, often through contracts where he exchanged something the other party desperately needed.

Odin had once warned that, despite Mephisto operating alone, he was immensely powerful and not someone to provoke lightly. The consequences would be severe.

Han Yu replied calmly,

"The person we're looking for isn't technically him. We need to find Mephisto so he can help us locate someone else."

Loki was puzzled. He couldn't understand what Han Yu was saying. Just the thought of seeking out Mephisto was shocking enough—now he was hearing that even Mephisto was only a middleman?

"These people actually know Mephisto? How is that possible? He's just a human," Loki asked skeptically. Even he had never seen Mephisto.

Han Yu chuckled.

"Let me introduce them. Johnny—he signed a contract with Mephisto and was possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance, turning him into the flaming-skulled Ghost Rider. And Blackheart, Mephisto's son—a worthless individual."

The casual insult directed at Blackheart made Galacta burst into laughter. Han Yu's bluntness was brutal but oddly refreshing to her.

Blackheart's face darkened. Being insulted by a stranger upon first meeting him was not something he could tolerate. He turned to his companions and ordered coldly,

"Clear the room."

At his command, the burly men accompanying him began throwing everyone out of the bar, including the bartender and the bouncers. Those who tried to resist were swiftly silenced with a single punch, leaving them dazed and unable to fight back.

Realizing they were no match for their opponents, the group of thugs quickly fled. Now, the bar was left with only Johnny, Han Yu and his group, and Blackheart with his men.

"Can you call your father here? If not, get lost. I don't have time to waste on you," Han Yu said impatiently, frowning slightly.

To Blackheart, with his arrogance, such words from an unfamiliar face were utterly intolerable. He raised his hand, and the tables and chairs around him levitated before flying toward Han Yu.

Han Yu didn't even flinch. Using sheer mental strength, he deflected the incoming furniture. Unfortunately, the force of his deflection struck Johnny, sending him flying into the wall. He crashed into it, bringing chunks of brick down onto himself.

"Han, is he okay? He looks like an ordinary human," Loki asked, sensing that things were taking a turn for the worse. He stepped forward to check on Johnny, but Han Yu stopped him.

Squinting slightly, Han Yu stared at the pile of rubble and said, "He's human, yes. But he's made a deal with Mephisto. That allows him to control Hellfire. He's no ordinary guy."

As he finished speaking, a faint glow of fire emerged from the rubble. Johnny stood up, his face contorted in pain. Flames began consuming his facial muscles, burning his skin away and revealing the skeletal structure beneath. He let out a guttural, agonized growl as fire seeped from his very bones.

Galacta, visibly uncomfortable with the grotesque transformation, turned her head away, trying to avoid the nauseating scene.

In less than half a minute, Johnny's head was entirely engulfed in flames, leaving behind a blazing skull. The transformation into Ghost Rider was complete.

"Ah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to," Han Yu said apologetically, his tone somewhat sheepish.

Johnny's glowing red eyes fixed on Han Yu before shifting to Blackheart. In a deep, resonant voice, he said, "I'm fine. Let's deal with him first. If you take care of him, I'll take you to Mephisto."

Hearing this, Han Yu smirked. "Take care of him? That's simple enough."

Han Yu extended his hand toward Blackheart, fingers curling into a fist. Suddenly, Blackheart's face twisted in pain. He clutched at his throat, struggling and gasping as his body lifted off the ground, suspended in mid-air.

Seeing their leader in trouble, Blackheart's men tried to intervene, but Galacta cast a casual glance their way. An oppressive force pinned them to the ground, leaving them gasping for air, unable to move.

Loki raised an eyebrow and muttered under his breath, "Whoa. This girl's something else. She doesn't even need to lift a finger to subdue them. What kind of monsters does Han Yu surround himself with?"

Galacta's eyes flickered toward Loki, and with a faint smile, she quipped, "I'm a monster, am I?"

Caught off guard, Loki shivered under her gaze. Awkwardly, he laughed and quickly replied, "No, no. I'm the monster here. I'm the monster."

Satisfied with his response, Galacta let out a soft hum, turning her attention away. Loki heaved a sigh of relief.

"Han Yu doesn't seem to have a single normal person around him!" Loki muttered under his breath.

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