The sudden voice did not make David panic. Instead, a flash of disdain appeared in his eyes.
"Church of Life, your hounds truly have sharp noses. You managed to track me down this quickly, but you're already too late!"
David let out a chilling laugh, his eyes filled with evil.
"What a heavy aura of corruption. Who are you really?" Effie asked in shock, staring at David.
"Heh, it has only been a few months, and you no longer recognize me?"
David pulled back his hood. A pale, lifeless face was revealed. It was David Banner's face, but the tone of his voice was nothing like David. It was the same sinister voice that once descended into the mortal world, the voice of Mephisto, Lord of Hell.
"Mephisto!"
"That's right. You finally recognize me? But this is only one of my avatars. Soon, the full power of Hell will descend into this vessel, along with the darkness of another realm. This creature will be a fusion of three powers. Demon, ghost, and man. A force of man, spirit, and demon combined. Let's see how your so-called Church of Life dares to resist me. The so-called Lord of Life will die, and all of you pathetic ants will perish with him!"
Mephisto roared with mad laughter as his body dissolved into a black mist that poured into Banner's body.
At the same time, Kaecilius transformed into a streak of dark light and shot into Banner's chest.
Banner screamed in unbearable agony. His eyes glowed with green light, but within that light swirled an even deeper black haze.
Ever since Roland Phils forced him back to Hell through the Gate of Reincarnation, Mephisto had been consumed with resentment. He had been plotting a return ever since. But because he feared Phils' reincarnation power, even his true form could not risk descending.
So he devised another plan.
He would find a suitable host on Earth, one strong enough to merge the power of Hell with the darkness of Dormammu's realm. With both forces combined, the host would become unimaginably powerful.
And because the vessel was human, it would not be subject to the reincarnation power that banished demons. With such a host, Mephisto could destroy the Lord of Life and finally descend fully into Earth, ruling it forever.
But the reality was not so simple.
Hellfire and dark magic were too overwhelming for ordinary humans. In every experiment, the test subjects had all failed. They either went mad or self-destructed under the burden of that power, and that was only after receiving a fraction of it.
They needed a vessel strong enough to endure it all.
By chance, Mephisto learned of the Hulk.
The Hulk's human form was weak, but once transformed, his strength rivaled that of gods. He was far stronger than any normal human. Yet that strength was also the reason Mephisto waited so long. Even his avatar on Earth did not dare provoke Hulk directly.
Now, thanks to Sterns' serum, Banner could not transform. He was weakened. This was not a cure, but a temporary suppression. Given time, the Hulk would resurface, but for now, the weakness made him the perfect target.
And so, Hell's power and Dormammu's darkness flooded into Banner.
The torment tore him apart from the inside. Banner roared, his body convulsing violently. Finally, he lost all control.
He transformed.
But this was not the Hulk anyone had ever seen before.
Previously, Hulk's height never exceeded three meters. His strength, even in berserk form, hovered around the threshold of demigod level. But now, infused with Hell and darkness, his body kept expanding, growing taller and taller until he towered over three hundred meters.
His skin was still green, but dark patterns and black streaks burned across his flesh like brands of corruption. His aura was twisted and malevolent.
This was no longer the Hulk.
This was a godlike abomination, born of rage, hellfire, and shadow.
The force radiating from him rivaled the gods of the sky. He had reached the level of a true god, albeit in its earliest stage.
"Roooaaarrrr!"
The monster's howl split the heavens. The shockwave reduced buildings within hundreds of miles to rubble. Screams, wails, and cries of terror echoed through the city.
"What is that? Is it a monster?"
"Why are such horrors appearing in this world?"
"Run! Everyone run!"
"To the Temple of the Lord of Life! Only there can we be saved!"
"Have faith! The Lord of Life will protect his followers!"
"Follow us! The Holy Light Order will shield you!"
Citizens panicked, fleeing in chaos. At that moment, thousands of figures in white robes descended, bathed in divine radiance.
"The Holy Light Order! The protectors of the Lord of Life!" people cried in relief.
Ever since the Hell Gate incident, trust in the Church of Life and the Holy Light Order had spread among the masses. When the world nearly fell to darkness, the Holy Light had been the only shield that saved them. To the common people, they were the saviors of humanity.
Far away, within the divine realm, Roland Phils opened his eyes.
"So, a true god on par with the Skyfathers? Mephisto and Dormammu truly spared no cost this time." A cold smile spread across his face.
In their own dimensions, Mephisto and Dormammu reigned as cosmic beings. But outside their realms, their power was reduced to that of Skyfathers. To create such a monster on Earth had cost them dearly.
"To think they fear me enough to gamble everything. They see me as a thorn in their side, a danger they cannot tolerate. But do they really believe this is enough to challenge me? How laughable. Once I fully merge with the Sentry's power, I will face them myself. For now, my fleet girls will keep them entertained."
His voice was full of disdain.
Back in the mortal world, Effie and Bismarck felt their hearts shake.
"This aura… it's stronger than the last Mephisto avatar. This thing may be even worse!" Effie whispered, her face pale.
"Impossible. Mephisto's true power lies in his Hell dimension. Without the Gate of Hell, his avatar should not be this strong. Something here is unnatural," Bismarck muttered in alarm.
"Whatever the reason, we must stop it. At this level of power, a single strike could erase an entire city," Effie said with grim resolve.
Bismarck nodded. "We'll need all of our sisters."
At once, a massive magic gate opened. Seven ship girls and three mech girls stepped out.
"We're here. The Commander ordered us to hold this beast while he absorbs the Sentry's serum."
"So the young master has begun at last?"
"Yes. Once it's complete, his power may break into the realm of mid-tier gods. Even if not, his strength will soar."
"Then we fight in his name. For our lord's glory, we will slay this abomination ourselves. He does not even deserve to face our master. This battle will temper us."
Effie raised her hand, and her Holy Ring flared with radiant magic. White light surged, wrapping the abomination within a sealed space-time barrier to prevent the destruction of the real world.
The monster looked around at the glowing prison, then at the fleet girls standing before him. He sneered.
"So, you're all here. Good. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down. Today, I'll wipe you all out together. You dare challenge me, yet you are only demigods. You are insects before me!"
He clenched his fist, then brought it down with the force of a falling meteor.
The heavens shook. Lightning dragons writhed across the clouds. Despair spread for miles around.
In response, divine energy surged from the fleet girls. Weapons lit up, cannons rotated, and beams of annihilation powered up.
"Fire!"
Their combined barrage tore through the air, colliding with the monster's strike.
Boom!
The explosion split the sky. Even shielded by Effie's barrier, the shockwaves rippled across the ground, making the earth itself quake. Inside the sealed space, mountains, rivers, forests—everything was obliterated.
Yet the abomination stood tall, unscathed, gazing down like a god over mortals.
"Pathetic. Is this all your strength? Weak. Too weak. Summon your cowardly master, or be reduced to ash!"
The monster's voice rumbled like thunder. He was a puppet, but the hand pulling the strings was Mephisto himself. This creature was his strongest avatar on Earth, stronger even than his last descent. Strong enough to rival his true self outside of Hell. And unlike his true form, this abomination had no fear of the Gate of Reincarnation.
"Blasphemy! How dare you insult our master!" the fleet girls roared.
"Corrosive Poison!"
"Air-to-air missile barrage!"
"High-energy laser cannon!"
"Full-range bombing run!"
"Deadly thorns!"
"Supersonic particle beam!"
"Photon blade strike!"
One after another, the ship girls unleashed their powers. Beams, bombs, and magic rained down upon the monster.
Such an attack could annihilate any ordinary foe.
But the abomination only sneered.
"No matter how ants struggle, they remain ants. Your attacks are worthless!"
He opened his mouth and exhaled.
Hurricane winds surged forth, sharp as blades. They cut through the onslaught with ease, dispersing the combined assault as if swatting away sparks.
"What? Impossible!"
"That was my strongest attack!"
"He blocked all of us with a single breath. Is this the power of a true god?"
"Watch out!" Bismarck shouted, but it was too late.
The storm of blades slammed into them. The fleet girls were hurled through the air like ragdolls.
Before they hit the ground, Bismarck's hands flashed with runes. A black magic array bloomed, forming a spring-like cushion beneath them. The fleet girls landed safely, unharmed.
Phils had gifted Bismarck a cloak of black magic, a divine relic of sub-god level. With it, she was the strongest among them, second only to true gods.
The monster's eyes gleamed with greed. "Black magic? So the Lord of Life's followers are nothing but hypocrites. That cloak should belong to me!"
His massive hand shot toward Bismarck.
Bismarck's eyes turned cold. From the cloak, a torrent of black energy erupted to meet his strike.
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1707 Words