Back when Li Feng handed the mask to Coulson, he had explicitly stated that the mask couldn't be used during the day—a fact Coulson remembered clearly.
Now, with the sun about to rise and Melinda, who was having a blast in the distance, clearly forgetting this detail, Coulson grew anxious. Urgently, he said to Li Feng, "Hurry, get Melinda away from the Witch Heart Demon. She's running out of time."
After all, Melinda was his future top agent. If she got killed by the Witch Heart Demon, such a severe loss would be irreplaceable.
So, even as Coulson spoke, Li Feng had already opened a portal, grabbing Melinda and yanking her back. Melinda was clearly having a great time, so being interrupted annoyed her somewhat. Without even looking, she raised her chainsaw and swung it at Li Feng's shield.
Startled, Li Feng quickly floated into the air and couldn't help but curse, "You crazy woman! Don't think I don't know you're doing this on purpose. The mask just amplifies suppressed emotions—it doesn't make you turn on your own people!"
As he spoke, Li Feng narrowed his eyes at Melinda, whose eyes had taken on a slightly crimson hue. Internally, he thought, Damn, just how violent is this woman deep down? Her eyes are literally red.
As for what a "heart demon" was, Coulson wasn't entirely sure, but he distinctly remembered Li Feng mentioning before that using the mask carried a certain chance of producing such a thing.
Right now, Melinda didn't seem normal at all, leading Coulson to instinctively assume she had succumbed to a heart demon. He cautiously called out, "Mel, stop! It's me, Coulson!"
Melinda glanced at Li Feng floating mid-air, realizing she couldn't do much to him, then turned to Coulson—subtly winking her right eye as she did.
Coulson froze for a second before immediately understanding: Melinda wasn't actually losing it. She was just pretending to be crazed to test the limits of Li Feng's shield.
Too bad he'd ruined the perfect opportunity for an experiment.
With an awkward chuckle, Coulson asked curiously, "Mel, I can understand pulling a sword from your pocket if it has a retractable function, but a two-meter-long chainsaw? How did you even fit that in your pants? That thing's way bigger than your skinny legs."
Melinda shook her head blankly, staring at the still-buzzing chainsaw in her hand. "I don't know where it came from either. It was just instinct—like my pocket had exactly what I needed." She paused, tilting her head in thought before adding, "It's like… a feeling. Whatever I want, my pocket just provides."
Coulson eyed Melinda's pants pocket, a hint of excitement creeping onto his face. "If I wanted pizza, could you pull out a slice?"
"Dream on," Li Feng interjected, having floated over to Melinda at some point. Rolling his eyes at Coulson, he explained, "The Night God is a master of transformation, but even he can't conjure things from nothing—let alone a mere mask. Did you really think Melinda imagined that chainsaw into existence?"
No sooner had Li Feng finished speaking than a beam of sunlight struck the chainsaw in Melinda's hand. The weapon seemed to melt, rapidly shrinking until it transformed into a familiar-looking key.
At the same time, the sunlight signaled the end of Melinda's transformation. The patch of green on her head shrank as well, reverting into the mask before dropping into her palm.
Melinda stroked the mask, then held up the key. "So you're saying the chainsaw was actually this key all along?"
If wearing a mask could grant me anything I wanted, why would I stay in this dangerous Marvel world? I'd just put on the mask, open a portal home, and enjoy the warmth of my wife and kids—wouldn't that be perfect?
Li Feng shrugged, glancing absently at Johnny Blaze, who was locked in a standoff with Witch Heart Demon. "What else?" he muttered.
Coulson gave a slight nod, acknowledging the information while feeling relieved that the mask wasn't as powerful as he'd feared. If wearing it truly granted any wish, Coulson would have confiscated it immediately.
He knew all too well how unreliable Li Feng could be. If Li Feng ever got bored and decided to conjure a mountain of gold for fun, Wall Street types would be lining up to jump off the Empire State Building.
Coulson walked over to Li Feng and asked, "Aren't you going to help?"
"How?" Li Feng glanced at the sun, then at Johnny Blaze, who was struggling to transform under the sunlight, his face turning red with effort. "Without transforming, this guy's just deadweight getting in my way against Witch Heart Demon. And if he hides in the shade to transform, he might just turn on me first."
Spreading his hands, Li Feng grinned. "Besides, Johnny Blaze can't die. Might as well enjoy the show. Watching two fighters go at it, landing brutal hits but neither able to kill the other—way more entertaining than a boxing match. Too bad, though..."
Coulson shot him an exasperated look. "Too bad what?"
"No popcorn or beer," Li Feng replied, giving Coulson a look as if to say, How could you even ask that?
The expression made a vein throb on Coulson's forehead. Now of all times, you're cracking jokes? "Are you helping or not?"
Li Feng scratched his brow and turned to Coulson, who looked like he was grinding his teeth to dust. "My plan was to face Witch Heart Demon alone. Honestly, I don't mind helping Johnny Blaze, but working with the Ghost Rider? No problem—except that guy can't control himself."
Before Li Feng could finish, Rosie stood up and said, "I can help Johnny control that... Rider, as long as I'm with him."
Li Feng remembered from the movies how Rosie had once shot at Witch Heart Demon despite knowing he was a Devil—useless as it was, it showed she had a fierce side.
Since Rosie was volunteering, Li Feng tossed her a few protective charms, then pulled out a skull mask and a scythe from his satchel. Grabbing Rosie, he flew toward Johnny Blaze. "Miss, these charms will protect you, but they're not invincible. Stay as far from the fight as you can."
As they closed in on Witch Heart Demon and Johnny Blaze, Li Feng donned the skull mask and pointed at the abandoned church behind Witch Heart Demon. "Johnny Blaze, drag him into the church. No sunlight there—you can transform into the Ghost Rider."
Li Feng pointed at Rosie and said with a grin, "Don't try to ambush me after turning into the Ghost Rider. Your woman is watching you nearby."
"Rosie?" Johnny Blaze turned to look at Rosie. After confirming she was unharmed, he relaxed slightly and asked, "How do we lure Witch Heart Demon into the church?"
Their conversation wasn't discreet at all, making Witch Heart Demon feel his intelligence was being insulted: Like hell I'd walk into a church to get double-teamed by you two!
Truth be told, Witch Heart Demon had already considered retreating when Li Feng pulled Melinda away.
First, he didn't know Melinda's mask transformation only worked at night. All he remembered was how that green-headed violent woman had beaten him so badly even Mephisto wouldn't recognize him.
Second, the portal Li Feng opened was Kamar-Taj's signature spell—he recognized it immediately and assumed a Kamar-Taj sorcerer had come after him.
As for why it was this unfamiliar mage Li Feng—hadn't Coulson said earlier that the Ancient One considered him a minor nuisance not worth her time?
Of course, Witch Heart Demon now felt grateful the Ancient One saw him as just a small problem. If she'd deemed him serious enough to handle personally... well, he wouldn't be thinking about escape routes but rather what kneeling posture to adopt.
Finally, he knew absolutely nothing about Kreacher. Who knew what bizarre abilities this clearly non-human creature possessed?
A violent woman, a sorcerer, a small monster, plus a Ghost Rider who could transform by avoiding sunlight—no wonder Witch Heart Demon wanted to flee.
But leaving just like that would make him seem low-class. Even when retreating, he should at least cause some trouble for this Kamar-Taj mage.
With this thought, Witch Heart Demon glanced at the eastern sun and threatened with a grin, "Think carefully, little Johnny. I'm a Devil—killing me just sends me back to hell. Someday I'll crawl out again to bother your pretty lady here."
As he spoke, he flashed a wide grin at Rosie before continuing to Johnny Blaze, "But hand me the San Venganza Scroll and keep this mage busy, and I promise never to trouble you again."
"Have me fight the Ghost Rider? Your divide-and-conquer scheme is too naive." Understanding Witch Heart Demon's ploy, Li Feng smirked and pulled a pitch-black gourd from his satchel. "Too bad the San Venganza Scroll is with me."
With that, Li Feng uncorked the gourd, allowing Witch Heart Demon to faintly sense the wraiths inside before tossing it into the church. Smiling, he asked, "Now, pretty boy, are you going into the church to take the easy gains, or are you planning to come back another time for them?" Pausing, he feigned sudden realization and added, "Oh, I forgot to remind you—next time you see me, the gourd will definitely be empty."
Witch Heart Demon's eye twitched. Was there even a choice? Without the wraiths inside the gourd, he'd lose his foundation and eventually be killed by the Ghost Rider.
Immediately, Witch Heart Demon shot Li Feng a venomous glare before sprinting toward the church at full speed: Damn it, I'll grab the gourd and run. Once my power grows, I'll come back for revenge!
"I knew it'd go like this," Li Feng shrugged, hoisting his scythe and saying to Johnny Blaze, "Let's get to work." He then released a swarm of Dementors, surrounding the church before flying in after them.
Johnny Blaze glanced at the Dementors, then puzzledly stared at Li Feng's retreating figure. He remembered Li Feng once saying the San Venganza Scroll had been destroyed—so what was inside the gourd that made Witch Heart Demon charge into the church despite knowing it was a trap?
But now wasn't the time for questions. His priority was dealing with Witch Heart Demon first. As for Witch Heart Demon crawling back from hell later? Please. The mission to capture him had been issued by Mephisto himself.
By the time Rosie died of old age, Witch Heart Demon would still be stuck in hell getting spanked by Mephisto.