Despairing Odds

"It had to be Blackheart—"

At that moment, Hercules, who had barely spoken proactively since boarding the plane aside from necessary replies, lifted his lowered eyelids.

He sat in a corner of the cabin. Even within this high-tech space, he seemed to carry an ancient, solemn domain around him. His mountain-like, muscular body constantly radiated the oppressive presence of a powerhouse unlike any mortal.

"The appearance of Hell demons was no accident, nor are they something mortals can casually command."

Hercules' voice carried a deep, weighty quality and the innate majesty of a divine descendant. "If that mortal creation you call Ultron wishes to lay hands on the power of Hell, he must first receive permission from Hell."

He slowly turned toward Nick Fury's projection. There was neither reverence nor ingratiation in his golden eyes as he continued calmly, "If Ultron truly is mass-producing Hell demons for fusion and modification as you say, then it is almost certain that he did not accomplish all this alone—behind him, or rather, the one who reached some sort of agreement with him, must be Blackheart."

"Blackheart?" Nick Fury frowned deeply, rapidly searching through his memories. He muttered, "That name sounds vaguely familiar—"

"He is Mephisto's son." Hercules gave the answer directly, his tone certain. "One of the many offspring of that Hell Lord famed for his cunning. He usually occupies some layer of Hell and harbors an intense ambition to corrupt the real world."

"Only someone like him could provide Ultron with vast numbers of physical demons for modification."

Tony Stark curled his lip. "Ultron provides the technology, mechanical creations, and a plan to wipe out humanity. Blackheart provides troops from Hell and some new kind of energy support... Heh. I have to say, that really is a filthy transaction where both sides