Marvel: Death Knight

Around ten o'clock at night, Garus stood alone atop the Azeroth Technologies skyscraper, gazing at the city lights below, his thoughts drifting back to memories of home.

With the construction of Sky Fortress complete, he found himself idle once more. Physical training and honing combat skills seemed meaningless now. After all, brute strength often triumphed over technique. When power reached a certain level, no intricate move could compare to a single devastating punch.

Most importantly, he had discovered the method to enhance his deathly powers: killing. Only by slaying enemies and extracting their souls could his strength grow. The stronger the enemy's spirit, the greater the boost. Ordinary humans and even enhanced beings held no value to him.

Sky Fortress had moved slowly from Antarctica to hover above international waters in the Atlantic Ocean. Garus was careful to avoid drifting over American soil to prevent unnecessary complications. Even cloaked, it risked detection.

Suddenly, Garus noticed something unusual on a street below. A motorcycle engulfed in flames sped down the road, chasing another vehicle. Its blazing figure was starkly visible against the dark night.

The rider astride the flaming motorcycle—no, not a man, but a being—had a skull wreathed in fire where his head should have been. Pedestrians screamed and scattered in panic as it passed.

"Is that Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider?" Garus's curiosity was piqued. Summoning his mech suit, he descended under the cover of darkness to follow.

"Stop right there!"

The high-speed chase on the ground soon attracted police attention. Officers, unnerved by the sight of the fiery motorcycle, hesitated, fearing it might explode. As they got closer, they noticed the rider's flaming skull. When the Ghost Rider turned to glance at them, the driver shuddered, losing control and causing their car to skid and roll.

The chase eventually reached the outskirts of the city. Unable to resist any longer, Garus dived from above, landing with a resounding crash.

The mech suit landed directly in front of the Ghost Rider, one hand forcefully gripping the motorcycle's front wheel. The immense impact pushed Garus back several steps, the mech's feet carving long grooves into the ground.

"Who are you, and why are you stopping me?" The Ghost Rider's raspy voice emerged from his flaming skull, his soul-bound eyes flickering with agitation as the fleeing car disappeared from view.

Garus leapt out of his mech.

"You're Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider?" he asked, his tone curious.

The Ghost Rider seemed momentarily surprised that this stranger knew his name but showed no interest in idle chatter. With a flick of his wrist, the flaming chain in his hand came alive, snaking toward Garus.

Caught off guard, Garus's hand was ensnared. The hellfire-infused chain burned his skin, causing a searing pain.

"Hellfire?" he muttered, recognizing its source.

Their eyes met. In Johnny's blazing sockets, Garus glimpsed a purifying flame, reminiscent of the righteous fire wielded by Highlord Bolvar Fordragon after his transformation. Both bore flames capable of cleansing evil.

[System notification: You are under a mental attack. Activating auto-defense.]

"The Penance Stare, huh?" Garus murmured, wrenching his hand free from the chain. He summoned a gargoyle to shield him.

The Ghost Rider's chain lashed out again, striking the gargoyle. Heavy blows fractured its stone body, leaving it in ruins.

Having gauged his opponent's strength, Garus drew his weapon and advanced. Frostmourne met the Ghost Rider's chain, but even the cursed blade couldn't sever the mysterious material.

Johnny wielded his chain with masterful precision, its fiery strikes bypassing Garus's defenses. Each blow combined physical and magical damage, a dual threat Garus couldn't ignore.

Garus noted that his necrotic aura and blood magic were ineffective against the Ghost Rider, who lacked flesh or blood. Realizing this, he decided to channel frost magic instead.

Converting all his deathly energy into frost, Garus unleashed Remorseless Winter. The chilling aura enveloped the Ghost Rider, draining heat from his fiery form.

As Johnny's movements slowed, Garus seized the chain, its fiery heat dimming under the frost's power. The flames in Johnny's eyes flickered, his strength waning. Despite his efforts to yank the chain back, Garus held firm.

Ice overwhelmed fire. Ultimately, Garus's frost magic triumphed.

For reasons unknown, Johnny refused to release the chain. Suddenly, the flames enveloping him extinguished, revealing an ordinary white man. Just as Frostmourne's blade hovered a hair's breadth from Johnny's chest, Garus halted his attack.

The icy blade's tip was so close that Johnny could feel its chill. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he gasped, "Who…what are you?"

Garus's gaze turned calculating, making Johnny uneasy.

For a moment, Garus considered ending Johnny to absorb the spirit of vengeance within him—Zarathos, a formidable soul that could greatly enhance his power.

"Are you one of Mephisto's lackeys?" Johnny asked, eyeing Garus's aura of death.

"Mephisto? The Lord of Hell?" Garus shook his head. "I have no connection to him."

Johnny's voice grew frustrated. "Then why did you stop me? That was Mephisto's mortal vessel I was chasing! You let him escape!"

"Mephisto? Here?" Garus frowned. The demon lord's presence in Hell's Kitchen seemed unusual.

"Six months ago, Mephisto began rallying followers to restore his strength. I've been hunting him since. If not for me, he'd already be unstoppable on Earth."

[System notification: S-Rank mission: Assist the Ghost Rider in banishing Mephisto back to Hell. Reward: 200,000 exchange points.]

The sudden task reinforced the gravity of the situation. If the Ghost Rider had been able to keep Mephisto at bay, was there an unforeseen variable?

Six months ago… Could it be linked to Garus? He vaguely recalled feeling watched around that time.

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