The battlefield had become a nightmare.
The sky above twisted with black clouds and crimson lightning while demonic fire spread across the ruined landscape. Elemental demons poured from rifts in reality, creatures of living flame, stone, storm, and shadow. Every one of them carried enough power to slaughter entire military units.
Ghost Rider stood at the center of the chaos.
Hellfire burned around him.
His chain whipped through the air, wrapping around a fire demon before dragging it into the ground. Green and orange flames erupted as the creature was reduced to ash.
Beside him fought the Wolfpack.
The elite Foundation Mobile Task Force moved with terrifying coordination. Bullets infused with thaumaturgic enchantments tore through demonic flesh while specialized containment weapons blasted apart creatures that refused to stay dead.
"Left flank!" shouted one operative.
A massive stone demon burst from the ground.
Before it could attack, Ghost Rider launched himself forward.
His burning fist smashed into the monster's face.
The impact shattered half its body.
The remaining Wolfpack members immediately opened fire.
The creature exploded into rubble.
Another demon descended from above.
Then another.
Then ten more.
The battlefield had become absolute madness.
Meanwhile, several kilometers away, Julius stood face-to-face with Blackheart.
The son of Mephisto towered over him.
Blackheart's pale body appeared almost skeletal beneath his dark armor-like skin. Black spikes protruded from his back while crimson eyes glowed with malicious intelligence.
Unlike the lesser demons surrounding them, Blackheart wasn't merely powerful.
He was a genuine threat.
A being capable of challenging gods.
"You amuse me," Blackheart said, his voice echoing unnaturally through reality itself. "A human pretending to play among monsters."
Julius calmly adjusted his gloves.
"I get that a lot."
Golden ripples appeared behind him.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
The Gate of Babylon opened.
Weapons emerged from the golden portals.
Ancient spears.
Legendary swords.
Mystic axes.
Divine treasures gathered from countless legends.
Blackheart's smile disappeared.
Then the weapons fired.
The sky turned gold.
Thousands of projectiles crossed the battlefield.
Blackheart reacted instantly.
Dark energy erupted from his body.
Explosions shook the landscape.
Golden weapons collided against black eldritch power.
Entire sections of the battlefield vanished beneath the resulting shockwaves.
Blackheart emerged from the explosions completely unharmed.
His regeneration immediately repaired the minor injuries he had suffered.
"A useful trick," Blackheart admitted.
Then he vanished.
Julius immediately activated his future sight.
Three seconds.
Enough.
He stepped sideways.
A claw the size of a car tore through the space where his head had been.
Blackheart had appeared behind him.
The demon moved with impossible speed.
Another strike.
Then another.
Julius blocked with Crocea Mors.
The legendary sword collided with Blackheart's claws.
The impact created a shockwave that flattened everything nearby.
Neither moved.
Neither yielded.
Then Blackheart smiled.
"Interesting."
Black flames exploded outward.
Hellfire.
Pure infernal power.
Julius disappeared through a portal.
Reappearing several hundred meters away.
The ground where he had stood instantly melted.
Blackheart raised a hand.
Reality twisted.
Dozens of demonic portals opened.
Entire armies began emerging.
Thousands of demons.
Flying horrors.
Monstrous beasts.
Spirits of Vengeance corrupted by Hell.
The battlefield suddenly became ten times worse.
Julius sighed.
"That's annoying."
More golden ripples appeared.
The number became ridiculous.
Even Blackheart paused.
Thousands upon thousands of portals now filled the sky.
Every one contained another weapon.
"You know," Julius said calmly, "people always assume the Gate of Babylon is a weapon."
Blackheart narrowed his eyes.
"It isn't?"
"No."
Julius smiled.
"It's an army."
The sky erupted.
The bombardment began.
Millions of legendary weapons rained downward.
Entire demonic battalions vanished.
Mountains exploded.
The battlefield transformed into a sea of destruction.
Even Blackheart was forced onto the defensive.
Meanwhile Ghost Rider and the Wolfpack continued pushing toward the demonic portals.
A lightning demon lunged toward one of the operatives.
Ghost Rider intercepted it.
Hellfire exploded outward.
The creature screamed as its body disintegrated.
Another operative activated a Foundation containment device.
A blue energy field expanded.
Three elemental demons became trapped instantly.
The Wolfpack opened fire.
The demons died seconds later.
For the first time since the battle had started, the Foundation began gaining ground.
Back at the center of the battlefield, Blackheart finally stopped holding back.
His form expanded.
Growing larger.
More monstrous.
Reality itself screamed around him.
Dark energy flooded the region.
The son of Mephisto had decided to fight seriously.
"I have devoured thousands of souls," Blackheart growled.
His voice shook the heavens.
"I have conquered realms beyond your comprehension."
Julius pointed Crocea Mors at him.
"And yet you're still giving speeches."
Blackheart roared.
The demon charged.
Julius charged as well.
One wielding the power of Hell.
The other wielding humanity's greatest treasures.
They collided.
The resulting explosion could be seen from orbit.