"Johnny, are you ready?"
"Let's begin."
Inside Limbo.
Aron drew the exorcism ritual.
He had Johnny stand exactly in the center of the ceremony.
The starter pack that the system had given at the very beginning contained a small but complete set of encyclopedias on exorcism, something like a university handbook.
What Aron most often used was the method of directly banishing high-level demons.
In other words, the evil spirit judged by the system would be directly sent back to its native hell.
But in the encyclopedia of exorcism, there were also other methods.
From the lowest level – revenants, through breaking curses that he had already used, to rituals of liberation from possession, everything was described.
Now what Aron was using was the simplest: the basic exorcism of releasing possession.
"Don't worry, Johnny, this is just a basic exorcism ritual."
"You can also look at it this way…"
"Your vengeful spirit, Zarathos, is equal to an evil spirit that possessed you."
"And now I'm helping you separate it from your body."
"Let it once again become a separate entity."
Aron noticed that Johnny looked a little tense, so he explained.
"You misunderstood, Aron, I'm not nervous."
"I'm excited…"
"I've been waiting for this day for seven full years."
Johnny's hands were trembling. He had longed for this moment for far too long.
"In that case, I won't let you wait much longer."
"Let's begin."
As soon as Aron's voice resounded, the exorcism symbol beneath Johnny's feet glowed with bright white light.
"Aaaa!!"
Johnny fell to his knees, clutching his head with his hands and screaming.
Along with the screams, his head began to split into two parts.
On the left side remained the normal human Johnny, and on the right side emerged a flaming skull.
The splitting continued down his body until Johnny was completely divided.
The human Johnny remained kneeling, while next to him the vengeful spirit slowly rose.
Its appearance was identical to the Ghost Rider after Johnny's transformation.
"You… are not innocent."
As soon as it appeared, the Spirit of Vengeance immediately fixed its gaze on Aron.
Aron did not move.
"Looks like last time I scared this skull so much that I left it half-unconscious."
Observing the Spirit of Vengeance's reactions, Aron smiled.
"I've heard of him. His name is Zarathos, and once he was a great power."
Hela sat on a huge obsidian rock, amused while watching the scene. Necroswords at her side, but she was completely focused on the situation.
"He was powerful?"
"Compared to Mephisto?"
Aron approached the Spirit of Vengeance and stared into his black eyes like empty holes.
"Oh, darling, do you think I look like a woman reciting poetry?"
Hela jumped down from the rock.
Still, she didn't dare look directly into the Spirit of Vengeance's eyes, as Aron did.
The Judgment Gaze.
Even Hela, who had been imprisoned in the underworld for thousands of years, had heard of it.
"In Asgardian records there isn't much information on Zarathos."
"He's mentioned only in passing… He appeared more than 20,000 years ago, hunted down by Jehovah, the one your people call God."
"By the way, Jehovah, just like you, possesses a holy soul."
"So…"
"Darling, you are my God."
Hela suddenly smiled and kissed Aron on the cheek, leaving a green lip mark.
"Don't interfere in this, I told you I won't take you to Asgard this time."
Aron rolled his eyes.
He already had an agreement with Hela about the next target of invasion – Lucifer's hell.
Marvel's Lucifer…
He bore the same name, but his strength barely reached the level of a "Heavenly Father." Even then, he was at the bottom of the ranks. Compared to Mephisto, he was far weaker.
Even if he faced Hela, who had not yet reached the level of a Heavenly Father, he would not stand much of a chance.
A real pity.
"Then I'll continue."
Hela wiped the lip mark left on Aron's face and continued talking about Zarathos.
"Twenty thousand years ago, he was hunted by the original Spirit of Vengeance, the one created by Jehovah."
"At that time he was recorded as a demonic lord of the elemental type."
"But according to our historians, the reason they hunted him was not only crime. There are records that he himself was once part of the original Spirit of Vengeance, but he fell."
Hela revealed ancient secrets.
"By the way, darling, sometimes it feels like I'm looking at Jehovah himself when I watch you, hahaha…"
Aron did not respond with a smile. He gazed thoughtfully at the Spirit of Vengeance.
Originally, he had planned to use exorcism to remove the seal and awaken Zarathos, causing chaos among Mephisto's ranks.
But after Hela's words… he had a new idea.
"Maybe I could make him fulfill his purpose?"
Aron fixed his gaze on the Spirit of Vengeance.
He returned the gaze with his black eyes.
The two of them stood facing each other.
"Use the Judgment Eye on me."
"…"
"You are not guilty, and the Judgment Eye punishes only sinners."
Aron tried to command.
The Spirit of Vengeance shook his head and ignored him.
"Darling, I think that's pointless."
"But maybe you can try to have him give you his power. That might work."
"…"
"Spirit of Vengeance, give me your power."
Aron followed Hela's advice and tried.
But the Spirit of Vengeance did not respond.
It was clear he still possessed his will.
He could not be forced with mere commands.
"The only way to obtain his power is to let him possess you."
At that moment, Johnny's voice was heard.
He had finally recovered from the effects of the ritual.
"Thank you. I've never felt this free."
Johnny looked at the Spirit of Vengeance who now stood separated from him.
A sincere smile appeared on his face, one he hadn't shown in years.
"But I must warn you… when you're possessed by it, it's hell. It's terrible."
After that, Johnny stepped back and began talking with Robbie.
They exchanged battle experiences and talked about future plans, away from the demons.
"Darling, I don't think it's necessary for you to take that risk."
"Mephisto is just a simple problem. Take me to Asgard, I'll kill him in a few minutes."
Hela tried to persuade him to take her along.
Aron pretended not to hear her.
"Maybe…"
"There is no risk?"
Aron stepped onto the exorcism circle prepared for Johnny.
He turned to the Spirit of Vengeance.
"Come."
"As you wish."
This time, the Spirit of Vengeance did not refuse.
His flaming, skeletal body approached Aron step by step, then melted and disappeared into him.
Gradually, it fused with his body.
"Ahhhhhh!"
At first, Aron felt sharp pain.
But then…
[Ding!]
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