"Look at you, you bastard?"
Feeling the flames surrounding him and the faint sting against his soul, Axel casually shook one leg and smiled at Little Devil.
"Buddy, take some advice. Treat yourself better. Out in the world, your reputation is whatever you make it."
As he spoke, Axel picked up his flask, intending to take a drink. Only after lifting it did he realize every drop of wine had already been burned away by Little Devil's dark blue flames.
Watching Axel's relaxed attitude, the flames around Little Devil flickered violently.
His jaw clicked open and shut before he roared once more.
"Your empty words cannot hide your countless crimes! Now... look into my eyes!"
"Heh."
Completely unfazed by Little Devil's growing agitation, Axel waved him off before turning to Wu Fengji with a grin.
"Feng Ji, go buy this guy some sunflower seeds. I really don't enjoy bullying idiots. Ghost Rider's problem is that the Spirit of Vengeance keeps hijacking his brain. You're actually pretty reasonable when you're yourself, and you talk enough already. You should really learn to keep that spirit under control."
"I told you to look at me, bas..."
"Screw you!"
Little Devil interrupted him again, and Axel's patience finally ran out.
Before Little Devil could repeat himself yet another time, Axel shot forward and seized his jaw with his left hand.
Ghost Rider's hellfire instantly burned away Axel's flesh and muscles, leaving only gleaming white bones, but those crystal-like bones clamped tightly around Little Devil's skull and dragged his face directly in front of Axel.
"Look at you? Is that the only sentence you know?
You're nothing more than a punk who can't even wipe out the villains on a single Earth, yet you dare lecture me?
Yes, I've carried the weight of hundreds of millions of lives.
Every one of them deserved it. Every one of them was the kind of scum that would make your blue flames celebrate on their graves.
You have no right to judge me!"
Sneering, Axel reached behind his ear.
The As-You-Wish Staff instantly appeared in his hand.
He pressed one end against Little Devil's spine.
Before Ghost Rider could react, the staff extended with explosive force.
Crack!
A sharp snap echoed through the palace.
The extending staff tore Little Devil's skeleton cleanly in half.
Axel continued gripping the flaming skull while only a section of the neck, part of a collarbone, and three ribs remained attached.
The rest of Ghost Rider's body blasted through Odin's palace, smashed across hundreds of Asgardian buildings, and finally embedded itself deep within the distant mountains.
Holding the burning skull before his face, Axel stared directly into the empty eye sockets.
"Did you finally get a good look at my eyes, bastard?"
Without waiting for an answer, Axel swung the staff upward.
The distant mountain and half of Odin's palace were ripped apart in a single motion.
The As-You-Wish Staff now stood like an enormous flagpole through the center of the palace, its upper end skewering Little Devil's body.
His burning skeleton hung in the wind like a blue-flamed banner flying over Asgard.
Everything happened so quickly that Odin barely had enough time to slam Gungnir against the ground.
"My palace! Couldn't the two of you fight somewhere else? Jotunheim exists for a reason!"
"Tch. It's only a palace. I'll pay for it.
I'm a scoundrel, not a thug.
One palace and half a mountain should cover the damages."
Axel released the staff and reached into his chainmail pouch, pulling out the Mind Stone.
He casually tossed it toward Odin.
"I only want the Space Stone for my collection. Besides, the Cosmic Cube makes a pretty good decoration.
As for the Mind Stone, you can keep it.
Feeling better about your palace now?"
Odin laughed heartily.
"Back in the days of the prehistoric Avengers, Agamotto and the others once gathered five Infinity Stones together.
Do you think I need them?
No.
They are not worthy of becoming my strength.
If Asgard were to lose me, neither Thor nor Loki possesses the wisdom to safeguard such dangerous relics."
"What was that?"
Axel exaggeratedly cupped a hand behind his ear.
"You old man really is stubborn.
I've already taken the Space Stone, which means no one in this universe can ever assemble all six.
You understand what that means, don't you?
The greatest threat posed by the Infinity Stones is gone.
The remaining five can now exist independently, becoming powerful artifacts without risking universal catastrophe.
Honestly, if this thing weren't useless outside your universe, I wouldn't even leave it here.
You don't want it?
You're sure?
Fine, I'll take it ba..."
"Ahem... Axel, there's no need to rush."
Odin interrupted him with a smile.
"Since it is a gift from you, naturally I shall accept it and keep it safe."
Using divine power, Odin floated the Mind Stone toward Frigga.
"My dear, it suits you far more than me. You should safeguard Axel's gift."
"Then Your Majesty should prepare an equally generous gift in return."
Frigga smiled gracefully before weaving magic around the Mind Stone, sealing it inside a beautiful pendant that settled around her neck.
While she refined the gem, blue flames suddenly spread from Little Devil's skewered skeleton.
The fire raced along the As-You-Wish Staff toward Axel.
Axel ignored it completely.
The staff, however, clearly panicked.
Despite all it had witnessed over countless years, it had never encountered such terrifying hellfire.
Determined not to be consumed, the As-You-Wish Staff rapidly expanded, launching Little Devil's body straight through Asgard's defenses and into outer space.
Meanwhile, the skull still resting in Axel's hand spoke.
"Oh my God... where am I now? Is this even still the Solar System?
Odin, is this handsome young man your newest teammate?
You've got excellent taste!"
The blue flames flickered.
The skull turned toward Axel.
"Axel, right?
Zarathos gave up.
You probably don't know him. He's the Spirit of Vengeance inside me.
He even tried calling his God just now, but apparently God was out of range.
Ahem... could you send my body back?
If you keep me in pieces, I won't dare leave Ghost Rider form."
Axel laughed before patting the top of the flaming skull.
"So the thing inside you actually called for help?
Too bad your local God isn't very impressive.
Back where I'm from, only God, Lucifer, and I stand at the top.
Since you've finally come to your senses, make sure that Spirit of Vengeance learns how to speak to me properly."
"No problem, absolutely no problem!
Now hurry up and let me go.
I lived around Zhoukoudian for years, so maybe we're practically countrymen.
Honestly, seeing you scare that thing inside me into submission makes me happier than anything.
I've never liked sharing my body with something I couldn't control.
Axel, I've decided we're friends.
Put me back together so I can return to normal, then let's drink until Odin runs out of wine!"
"Done."
Chuckling, Axel patted the skull again.
"So you really lived in Zhoukoudian?
No wonder even your cursing sounds like it's from the Central Plains."
He lightly tapped the As-You-Wish Staff.
The staff immediately shrank and returned behind his ear.
At the same time, Axel tossed Little Devil's skull away.
His body instantly regenerated, and the blue flames faded as he returned to human form.
The burly, hairy man immediately performed an ancient salute toward Axel.
Axel blinked.
The gesture looked strangely familiar.
Seeing Axel hesitate, Little Devil laughed.
"You don't recognize that salute?
I learned it while serving Emperor Qin.
I even earned the rank of Grand Shuchang.
His Majesty promised that once I conquered Rome, he'd promote me another two ranks and make me a Chehou.
Unfortunately, he passed away while I was still campaigning westward.
I never received news for six whole years.
Otherwise, that brat Liu Bang would've never become emperor.
Believe me, Axel.
We're practically countrymen.
After Odin and the others finished dealing with the Celestials, I settled near Zhoukoudian.
I've lived there ever since!"
Laughing loudly, Little Devil swaggered back to his seat and dropped down across from Axel.
Axel swallowed.
A Grand Shuchang ranked eighteenth among the twenty Qin noble titles.
Only Guan Nei Hou and Chehou stood above it.
This old man had clearly held remarkable status.
Before Axel could think further, Little Devil casually waved toward Odin.
"Odin!
Where's the fruit?
Where's the wine?
Where's the meat?
What's the point of talking without food?
It's rare that we're all gathered together.
Treat us properly!
Oh, Ancient One, Wu Fengji, long time no see.
Seeing everyone's doing well makes me happy.
Now then, what are we drinking?
Beer or liquor?"
Wu Fengji stared at him in surprise.
Although this was only the third time she had met Little Devil, she had never seen him so cheerful.
Beside her, the Ancient One calmly raised a hand.
"I'll have tea."
"Tea's healthy.
Then give me liquor.
Let's start with forty jin."
He nodded before looking at Axel.
"What about you, fellow countryman?
Beer or liquor?
By the way, what era are you from?
Song?
Yuan?
Ming?
Qing?
Surely not earlier than that.
I never heard of you when I was still serving as an official.
And what's with that staff?
It looks exactly like the As-You-Wish Staff, even the inscription matches.
Did you rob Heaven?
Did you steal it from the Monkey King?
You're pretty fierce, little brother."
As Little Devil chatted excitedly, nervous palace servants carried in endless food and wine.
Frigga waved her hand, and an enormous banquet table appeared before everyone.
Asgardian cuisine looked magnificent, though their table manners remained as rough as ever.
Without hesitation, Little Devil grabbed two enormous roasted beef legs.
Taking a huge bite from one, he tossed the other toward Axel.
"Forget what happened earlier.
You know how it is.
I've got a wild beast living in my head that loves causing trouble.
Men like us should be drinking together, not fighting.
That damned spirit nearly ruined a good friendship.
I'll drink this one as an apology."
He lifted a massive wine jar and emptied it in one long gulp.
Watching him, Axel smiled before biting into the beef.
The palace chefs truly lived up to their reputation.
The naturally rich meat was perfectly roasted, unbelievably tender, and bursting with flavor.
After finishing nearly five jin of beef in only a few bites, Axel raised his wine jar toward Little Devil.
"It was nothing.
Let's just call it a friendship forged through conflict."
"That's the spirit.
I'll finish mine, you drink however you like."
Little Devil slammed down the empty jar and let out a satisfied burp.
He reached into the pocket of his beach shorts, pulled out a pack of Camel cigarettes, lit one for himself, and tossed another toward Axel.
"Come on, brother.
Have a smoke.
Then we can sit back and listen to Odin tell some stories."
"No problem."
Holding the cigarette, Axel looked at Little Devil once more.
He was now completely convinced.
This old man had definitely spent a very long time living in the Central Plains.
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