28: Tormenting the Ghost Rider

"Hahaha!" The Evil Spirit chuckled boisterously, proud of its attack. However, its expression suddenly froze, replaced by growing trepidation.

Before it, Rhodes seized its arm, swiftly using his free hand to form a blade and severing the limb.

Backpedaling, the Evil Spirit clutched its severed arm, gazing at Rhodes in a mixture of panic and alarm.

"Is your vitality on par with Ghost Rider's immortality?" Rhodes discarded the spectral limb onto the ground. His movements remained measured as he cautiously advanced toward the trembling spirit.

Beads of cold sweat gathered on the Evil Spirit's forehead as it staggered, attempting to flee from Rhodes' presence.

"If you can't communicate in human language, I'll discover the truth as I tear you apart," Rhodes proclaimed. He leaped forward, gripping the back of the Evil Spirit's head, and forcefully bringing it to the ground.

With a swift roll, Rhodes reversed their positions, riding atop the cowering entity. His fists bludgeoned the Evil Spirit's visage relentlessly.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Each punch resonated with a visible shockwave, while the ground beneath the Evil Spirit's head repeatedly caved under the assault.

The Evil Spirit struggled fruitlessly against Rhodes' overwhelming strength. Overwhelmed, its frame convulsed under the weight of the blows, its vitality waning.

Ultimately, beneath the barrage of heavy punches, its form trembled violently, its vitality extinguished.

Rhodes rose to his feet, scrutinizing the defeated Evil Spirit on the ground. A curious thought nagged at him—what manner of entity possessed such extraordinary vitality, enduring numerous lethal blows before succumbing?

This supernatural resilience allowed it to weather multiple strikes before succumbing to its final demise.

"Ah!" Sig's cry pierced the air.

Confronting Ghost Rider, Sig's situation appeared dire, marred by a strenuous battle.

Rhodes hastened to Sig's side.

"Be cautious. No matter how much force you unleash, he won't perish!" Sig gasped for breath. He had landed countless critical blows during their exchange, yet the Ghost Rider exhibited no discernible reaction, its frame unswayed by even the most severe impacts.

Rhodes wasn't surprised. Ghost Rider's immortality stemmed from the Spirit of Vengeance, imparted directly by the Heavenly God. Only a deity could directly annihilate it. As long as the Spirit endured, Ghost Rider could be resurrected indefinitely.

Ghost Rider brandished his rocket as his attention turned to the felled Evil Spirit's form, lying motionless on the ground.

"Can you slay him?" Ghost Rider inquired with a tinge of desperation. "I've pursued this monster for days, unable to eliminate a being with near-boundless vitality."

Rhodes' skepticism had waned after learning that Ghost Rider was engaged in battle against Evil Spirits. Foregoing caution, he had chosen to disclose his presence to investigate the enigma.

His intention to inquire about the Evil Spirits, however, was disrupted by the sudden lunge of the skeletal Ghost Rider astride his fiery steed. A thrust was aimed at Rhodes' face.

Sidestepping deftly, Rhodes eluded the oncoming strike. His spear whirled, evoking a twirling motion before swooping down. Sig's movement, however, wasn't restrained, and he hurled himself forward.

Moments later, the Ghost Rider's skeletal horse faltered, its balance compromised. Collapsing, it sent the Ghost Rider airborne.

Tumbling to the ground, Ghost Rider quickly righted himself, propelling himself toward Rhodes, longsword poised for action.

Rhodes' spear initiated a complex pirouette, twirling gracefully. Advancing assertively, he engaged Ghost Rider in close combat.

Swiftly, his spear impaled Ghost Rider's throat. Yet, as with the Evil Spirit, Ghost Rider allowed the spear to pass through him.

Retaliating with unmatched aggression, Ghost Rider lunged at Rhodes, his longsword finding its mark in the form of a straight thrust.

Rhodes adjusted his stance, evading the attack. He then executed a seamless maneuver, using his spear to strike Ghost Rider's hind leg.

Struggling to maintain balance, Ghost Rider's skeletal horse faltered, throwing its rider into a chaotic spin. The airborne Ghost Rider collided with the ground, his form thudding audibly upon impact.

Despite the assault, Ghost Rider regained his footing, charging Rhodes with renewed determination.

Rhodes countered the attack, deftly diverting Ghost Rider's longsword with his one-handed grip on the spear. Flames erupted from Ghost Rider's skeletal frame, directed toward Rhodes' face.

Unfazed, Rhodes' own flames ignited, coalescing around his fist as he repelled the attack with a forceful punch. His flames outmatched those of the Ghost Rider, vanquishing the fiery onslaught.

Rhodes' eyes remained steady as he continued to deflect Ghost Rider's blows. Parrying a strike, he seized Ghost Rider's arm.

Quickly twisting, Rhodes launched Ghost Rider into the air. Helpless, Ghost Rider plummeted to the ground, his body making a resounding impact.

Eager to rise, Ghost Rider met the forceful kick of Rhodes, which sent him crashing back down. Rhodes pressed Ghost Rider into the earth with formidable strength.

Beneath Rhodes' weight, Ghost Rider writhed in futility, unable to escape his vice-like grip.

"Roar!" Ghost Rider bellowed, his body blazing with flames that enveloped him entirely. The inferno spread across the terrain as the spectral figure locked eyes with Rhodes.

Rhodes held his ground, firing twin beams of crimson light from his eyes. The beams pierced Ghost Rider's skull, dousing the flames that had encased him.

Invoking the sun's flame, Rhodes unleashed its radiant energy, erasing the remnants of Ghost Rider's fire.

Rhodes' mastery of the sun's flame rendered him impervious to burns. Thus, he emerged from the battle unscathed.

Sig approached the incapacitated Ghost Rider, confirming that the entity had been vanquished.

"He's not dead," Rhodes corrected him.

"What?" Sig's astonishment was palpable as he beheld the flames rekindling within Ghost Rider's eye sockets.

Though restored to life, Ghost Rider displayed no inclination to fight. Instead, he stared intently at Rhodes.

With the battle's conclusion, Ghost Rider appeared to have relinquished his will to resist.

"What are these Evil Spirits? I've never encountered beings with such extraordinary vitality," Rhodes inquired.

Ghost Rider, now seated on the ground, shared the origins of the Evil Spirits: "These are the Pharaohs of Egypt, creations of Apocalypse's experiments. His mismanagement resulted in their escape to various regions, where they wreaked havoc and claimed numerous lives."

Rhodes nodded in comprehension. The inconceivable vitality of the Evil Spirits could be attributed to Apocalypse's unparalleled abilities in creating life, a force rivaling that of the divine.