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Chapter: Ghost Rider vs. Demon Hunter

Ever since inheriting the powers of Illidan and becoming a demon hunter, Frank Custer had dedicated his life to hunting down evil.

Gangs, drug dealers, murderers, and demons that slipped into this world—all were his prey.

On this particular day, Frank was tracking a cunning demon when he sensed another demonic presence closing in from behind.

What surprised and irked him was that this demon dared to challenge him, calling for judgment.

"Too arrogant," Frank muttered to himself. After years in the field, he had never encountered such brazenness and wasn't about to let it slide. Without hesitation, he drew his War Blade to confront the Ghost Rider on his flaming motorcycle.

The hellfire-engulfed bike approached swiftly, scorching the worn road into a trail of molten lava, sending waves of intense heat.

"Whoa—"

Johnny Blaze transformed into the Ghost Rider, flames erupting from his arms as fiery chains snaked towards Frank like serpents of fire.

Demon hunters, with their keen reflexes and combat expertise, anticipate their opponents' moves with uncanny precision. Despite the speed of the motorcycle and the fiery chains, Frank swiftly dodged the attack and countered with a backhanded thrust of his blade.

The War Blade plunged into Johnny's chest!

Instantly, the blazing motorcycle veered off course, crashing into the roadside rocks, exploding into a fiery spectacle.

"Boom!" The explosion echoed loudly.

Though pierced through, Johnny, now the Ghost Rider, was nearly immortal. The blow that could slay a mortal barely phased him. Flames reignited around him, burning fiercely, heating the asphalt beneath to melting point.

The intense heat was almost unbearable even for Frank, whose skin, usually impervious to bullets, showed signs of burning.

With a grimace, Frank swiftly withdrew the blade and retreated.

Johnny seized the opportunity, striking back with his fiery chains. They entangled Frank, preventing his escape from the inferno.

"You can't escape!" Johnny's voice boomed as he pulled Frank closer, then hurled him to the ground.

"Boom!"

"Boom boom—"

Layer upon layer, the chains of flame bound Frank, making it nearly impossible for him to break free. Johnny swung the chains, turning the surrounding road into a scene resembling flowing lava, the air thick with the smell of sulfur.

Yet, at that moment, an even more sinister aura emanated from Frank. A jet-black energy enveloped him, engulfing his flesh.

"Very well. I'll show you real power," Frank's voice deepened ominously.

Enshrouded in darkness, Frank transformed into a towering demon with obsidian skin. Massive demonic wings unfurled behind him, casting eerie blue flames.

The surge of blue magical fire overwhelmed the Hellfire of the Ghost Rider.

Simultaneously, in his demonic form, Frank roared, shattering the fiery chains and seizing Johnny by the skull.

"Crack!" The blackened hand smashed down, fracturing the skull engulfed in flames, reducing it to shards.

Skull fragments mixed with hellfire scattered on the ground, yet the Ghost Rider did not fall. Instead, a new skull emerged amidst the flames.

Frank frowned, crushing Johnny's head again with his hand.

Yet, each time, a new skull promptly regenerated amidst the fiery inferno.

"You can't kill me," Johnny proclaimed, locking eyes with the Demon Hunter. "Now, face my judgment and pay for your sins, demon!"

As he spoke, the infernal orange-red flames surged from Johnny's hollow eye sockets like a vortex, enveloping Frank.

The Eye of Judgment!

This deadly gaze of the Ghost Rider injected hellfire into its victim's soul, igniting their sins. Many villains had perished under its gaze.

Johnny was confident. He believed this demon would not escape the Eye of Judgment's sentence.

However, the outcome surprised him.

Though subjected to the Eye of Judgment, the Demon Hunter remained stoic, meeting Johnny's gaze with calm resolve, untouched by the torment that had vanquished countless others.

"What?" Johnny exclaimed incredulously. "You resist the Eye of Judgment!"

In a low, ominous tone, Frank, now in demonic form, replied, "Judge me? True, I wield demonic power and have taken lives, but my conscience is clear. Everything I do is for justice!"

Johnny fell silent.

The two adversaries stood locked in a tense standoff, unmoving and silent.

Father Moru watched from a distance, bewildered by the bizarre spectacle. Though human, he dared not intervene, uncertain of the situation.

For a long moment, the demonic figures stared each other down.

Finally, the Ghost Rider broke the silence. "You...are no demon."

"Nor are you," the Demon Hunter agreed.

The hellfire dissipated, revealing Johnny's human form, while the dark aura surrounding Frank receded, revealing his true self.

"Frank castle," Frank hesitated before stating his name.

"Johnny Blaze," Johnny responded, extending a hand. "You might have heard of me, but that doesn't matter. I believe we have much in common."

"Yes," Frank agreed.

Despite the demonic aura around Johnny, Frank didn't sense malevolence. In their brief, hostile encounter, he saw not evil but someone, like himself, grappling with darkness while pursuing the light.

Through the Eye of Judgment, Johnny glimpsed the justice in Frank's heart.

A man who wields demonic power to combat demons—wasn't that the same as Frank?

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