"Move it along! Faster!"
Grunting in exertion, a muscled, dark purple-skinned Demon placed down a large crate of weapons. His skin was coated lightly in sweat, gritting his sharp teeth in anger. Trengramuz turned to look behind him to see another Demon standing on a low rooftop. Barking off orders in quick succession.
"You there, careful with those blades! If any of them become dull, we'll use your teeth as weapons!" The Demon, Kurnoth, was one of Master Blackheart's lower Generals. "We don't have all day. We must be ready for the invasion! I will not tolerate anyone that will slow us down!"
Lifting the extremely heavy crate over his shoulder once more, Trengramuz glared in front of him and continued his truck to the weapons depot located on the eastern side of Blackhearts City.
"How idiotic." Trengramuz whispered.
This city was built three centuries ago, and all of Blackheart's servants had a hand in its construction. While Trengramuz has only been in the mortal realm once, he couldn't help but compare the human's cities against Blackhearts' own. While he would never admit it, the humans had a keen eye for structure and order. Their cities were organized and pleasing to the eye. While the city he walked in was a dark eyesore, a pale imitation of humanity's structures.
"Won't be long now, though; I just have to bear it for a while longer." Grinning in excitement, Trengramuz walked around another of his fellow Demons. They were carrying large cells. Those would be used for their future captured human slaves. "Soon, I'll be able to enjoy myself."
This city was mobilizing around him for a full-scale invasion of the mortal realm. Once Blackheart defeats all the remaining Hell Lords and usurps Lord Mephistophele's reign over Hell, he will launch an all-out takeover of the human realm. With all of Hell's Demons moving as one, humanity will stand no chance. It'll be a massacre. All their silly countries and lands will be theirs for the pillaging and taking. Trengramuz himself couldn't wait to make a small human city his own.
"Hey… what's that?" An orange-skinned Demon, who was also holding a crate of weapons on his shoulder, said from behind him. Causing Trengramuz to turn around in curiosity
"What are you blabbering about, Gerokoth?"
"Up there." Gerokoth pointed up at the dark sky. It wasn't hard to find what he was talking about. A small bright orange light floated above the city. "What's that?"
This caused everyone on the street he was one to stop in their tasks and to look up in confusion. Suddenly, the light grew more extensive as it descended, and two long, glowing, string-like objects extended out from the light. They spun around extremely fast in circles, creating giant flaming arcs. The strings were then yanked upwards and remained still in their sky's blanket of darkness.
Without warning, they were swung downwards at unbelievable speeds. "Hey, aren't those about to-"
KA-BRAAM
Trengramuz's world became a bright, fiery orange, and without him noticing, his body and soul began to crumble to ash as he burned away.
•••
"W-Who are you?!"
Vornonur yelled fearfully, holding a shaking short sword in his dark grey hands. It wasn't too long ago that he joined Master Blackhearts ranks. Vornonur and his friend, Rungroxan, had ambitions to rise in the ranks of Blackheart's army and attain a high seat of power.
With the great opportunity of the upcoming invasion of the human realm, Vornonur saw this as his chance to complete his goals. So imagine his surprise when two enormous pillars of fire exploded high into the sky, quickly decimating a well-sized portion of the city's weapons development district. What remained was a giant pit of fire and destruction.
What snapped him out of his stupor was when a figure with a white skull enveloped in fire crash-landed a few feet away from the recently created wasteland. Vornonur took a shaky step back when a fiery figure turned around to look at him; this was when he was able to get a better look at the new arrival.
Walking out of his freshly made crater, the individual with the flaming skull was armed to the teeth with several different types of weaponry. Each of them seemed to be made of dark molten materials; ashes of fire surrounded the sharp, jagged daggers in his hands as they danced around the twin blades.
"S-Stop right there! You are trespassing in Master Blackheart's territory!" Vornonur yelled as several other Blackhearts servants stepped forward, weapons in hand. At the sight of reinforcements, confidence swelled inside Vornonur. "Drop your weapons and-"
"A corpse is talking."
"…huh?"
Vornonur said dumbly as a hand grabbed the front of his face, burning bare phalanges stuck out of fingerless leather gloves. Looking away from the hand on his face, Vornonur stared at the cold, empty eyes of the creature before him. Eyes growing in realization, Vornonur finally remembered what stood before him.
"It can't be… Zarathos?"
That was when Vornonur's world exploded in pain.
"GRAAAAHH!"
•••
"…"
Ghost Rider looked down at the smoldering charred skeleton kneeling before him. With a front kick, the Skelton shattered into ash and dust.
"NO! VORNONUR!"
Looking over to see a tall, muscular Demon with dark yellow skin, Ghost Rider saw the Demon shake with barely controlled rage. The maze in its hands shook.
"That was my friend, you bastard!" The Demon yelled before it charged at him quickly.
But the yellow-skinned Demon might as well have been moving in a slow jog for the Ghost Rider. Releasing one of his jagged daggers, Ghost Rider swung the attached chain that was connected to the pommel in fast circles. With a solid overhead swing, he brought it down over the yellow Demon's head with a fiery crash.
Yanking the blade back by its chain, the yellow Demon's momentum continued. With a sickening squelch, the Demon fell to the ground, cleanly cut in half. Blood and organs fell out with a wet flop.
Several of the Demons and creatures that were about to engage him paused. Looks of apprehension and worry were apparent on their faces.
"I've always feared my full strength. The thought of hurting or even killing someone due to me not being able to control my power held me back." Ghost Rider said as he began walking toward all of Blackheart's forces. "Always, always holding back. But here, here, I have a unique opportunity to see just how strong I really am."
Raising his twin blades, Ghost Rider bent his knees slightly and scanned the slowly growing number of Demons around the large crater he made. Now, at least a hundred were looking at him, weapons of all variety in their grasps. Demons ranging from Hell Knights, Imps, Marauders, Cacodemon's, and Prowlers could be seen.
"Let's find out together."
Leaping into the center of all the gathered Demons and creatures, Ghost Rider spun around and started slicing and chopping the closest Demons to him in a dance of violence. Blood and limbs flew through the air as the spirit of vengeance killed dozens of shocked Demons; barely ten seconds passed since the start of his attack.
At the sight of their comrade's blood and gore exploding into the air, all the hundreds of Demons that had gathered around the newly made crater started their counterattack.
Jumping over a horizontal slash from an angry Imp, Ghost Rider swung his blade mid-air and sliced the Imp's head from his shoulders. Kicking his legs outwards, two Prowlers flew back after being struck on their heads. Several Demons grunted in pain as they were sent sprawling onto the ground from being pushed around by the flying Prowlers.
"Die, you damn bastard!" A giant Hell Knight roared as he sprinted forward, Three Marauders close behind him.
Spinning his blades around his body, Ghost Rider cut down several lesser Demons closest to him and dashed toward the Hell Knight. Dismissing his dual blades, the spirit of vengeance entered a fistfight with the Knight. Surprising the Demon at the sudden change in attack. Using the Knight's surprise to his advantage, Ghost Rider unleashed an onslaught of bone-shattering punches.
"GAH!" blood flew out of his mouth; the Knight leaned forward as he held his stomach.
Flipping over the Knight, Ghost Rider grabbed the Knight's head and ripped it off his body with frightening ease. With a powerful throw, the bloodied head impacted the chest of one of the incoming Marauders. Causing his chest to cave in. Looking over to their companion in shock at the way they were killed, they themselves never saw the chains that wrapped around their bodies before it was too late.
CRACK
Bones and muscles were ripped to shreds as the chains pulled apart their bodies in a horrifying display of violence and gore. Without missing a beat, Ghost Rider ignited his chains in Hell Fire and threw his arms to the side. The flying chains stabbed through all the Demons and buildings, unfortunate enough to have stood in the way.
"Let's thin the herd." Ghost Rider said with his arms held out to his sides.
Swinging his arms across his chest, the long chains at his sides moved inwards. Cutting through buildings, pillars of rock, and demons like a hot knife through butter. Once the chains completed their swing, Ghost Rider dismissed them and inspected the sizeable cut-down area before him. He must've cut through two hundred yards of the Demon City and its inhabitants.
"I-Impossible."
"Such strength."
"J-Just, who is this monster?"
Slowly, Ghost Rider turned around and looked at the remaining Demons. Even after killing at least several city blocks worth of Demons, their numbers still ranged at several hundred.
"Let's see how this one does." Lifting a hand into the sky, several small orbs of fire sprang to life over his open palm. He commanded the orbs to fly into the sky with a small gesture. Once they were a thousand feet in the sky, Ghost Rider snapped his fingers.
The ten small orbs in the sky multiplied into twenty-five and then into fifty. With a pulse of energy, all the orbs of fire expanded into the sizes of small houses. Gripping his raised hand into a fist, the orbs of fire began to shrink and concentrate, hard molten rock solidifying in the centers of the fiery orbs.
Looking over at the scared legions of Demons, Ghost Rider saw them look up at the miniature flaming meteorites floating above the sky. Looming dangerously over them all.
"Hell's Inferno: Raining Meteorites."
Flicking his hand down, all fifty flaming rocks of molten rock began to move. Several of the onlooking Demons started to break out into a nervous sweat. "Fuck this!"
One of the Imps said with frantic fear and began running away. Like a damn breaking, a flood of demons started to run away in fear as the descending meteorites fell towards the city. Causing the ground beneath them all to shake, increasing their fright.
"Begone." Ghost Rider said and vanished in a blur of speed.
BOOOM
All at once, the fifty meteorites struck the ground, causing an ear splitting explosion that traveled throughout the domain. Hellfire exploded upwards and surged out in a wave that enveloped the entire city in flames; shortly, an earthquake erupted out from the impact zones, causing the burning buildings and mountains to crumble and shatter.
The lava pool that spanned the length of the city was pushed back due to the shockwave, only to flow back with the force of a tsunami. Flooding the destroyed remains of the city in molten lava. No lifeform within the city survived; only the far-off massive skull that was Blackheart's principal residence was left standing. Albeitly, the front of the skull was enveloped in flames, slowly dissipating.
"Some sort of barrier must surround that skull." Ghost Rider said from one of the tall mountains away from the leveled city. "Regardless, this should have gotten his attention."
"I'm afraid you will be disappointed then." A voice spoke from down below the mountain.
Looking down, Ghost Rider saw a green snake-like man standing with his fists beside himself. A furious expression on his scaly face. "You will regret what you just did for the rest of your miserable life."
Jumping to the ground with a loud crack, Ghost Rider stood and watched three more figures step out of large red portals. Immediately, the spirit of vengeance could sense these individuals were on a different level than all the Demons he had just erased from existence.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Zarathos. Or should I call you Ghost Rider?" The snake Demon walked forward and bowed mockingly. "I am Sligguth. One of Blackheart Lietunents of Destruction."
Sligguth then motioned to a red-skinned Demon that strongly resembled a human in his facial features and body type; instead of rounded ears, his were sharp and pointy. He wore a red pair of boxer briefs and a long, pointed red tail that waved back and forth. In his hands were two fencing swords with golden hilts that matched his eyes.
"Master of visages, Thog."
"I can't wait to take a long nice piss into your skull." Thog laughed, amused by how own words.
Sligguth then motioned to a large creature with a body seemingly made up of wind and air. Its sharp eyes and teeth moved erratically as it inspected him.
"Master of winds, Abigor."
Abigor huffed. "This is the one that laid waste to Master Blackheart's city. How unimpressive."
"Master of earth, Gressil."
A mighty ox-like Demon with brown skin and green horns leaned down on his forearms and breathed deeply. A green skirt held by a golden belt danced around his hips, and smoke flew out his green snout.
"Let's finish quickly, I require sleep." Gressil muttered in a deep voice.
"Master of water, Wallow."
A tall monster composed of dark blue water and long horns made of wood looked down at him with his glowing white eyes. His arms were long and thick, long spikes of water protruding from his elbows. Wallow also lacked legs; he moved around thanks to a vortex of water that flowed upwards from the ground.
"You are a former Hell Lord?! Don't make me laugh!" Wallow spoke in a garbled voice.
"Now that introductions are over, you'll be able to die knowing the names of Blackheart's greatest warriors."
Ghost Rider inspected their features and body types to get a feel for their possible combat patterns and abilities. With a quick draw, the spirit of vengeance held his dual katanas.
"What good are names to the dead."