"I can't control myself anymore..."
Johnny was in immense pain, clutching his head, the hellfire blazing around him and his body skeletal transformation fully revealing the demonic nature of the Spirit of Vengeance before Constantine and Mephisto.
"That right."
Mephisto laughed wildly, "John Constantine, you can't control the Ghost Rider. Just hand him over to me honestly.
Once I turn Earth into Hell, I will forgive your sins. Otherwise, I will let the fires of Hell devour your soul forever..."
"Stop the nonsense. Do I need to repeat myself? You're useless now, you can't do it."
Constantine was too lazy to listen further and kicked out.
Caught off guard, Mephisto didn't expect Constantine to suddenly strike, nor did he expect that Constantine, knowing his identity, would dare to make a move.
Thus, his body flew backward, crashing into the wall of the corridor behind him, leaving a gray shoeprint on his chest.
"Your human body has aged... needing a cane to walk, why do you try to act tough in front of me?"
Constantine sighed, looking at the sprawled Mephisto: "Since your true form can't reach Earth, you might as well shut up, otherwise, you'll end up being beaten to death someday."
"Cough cough!"
Mephisto was furiously enraged, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes turning pitch black and shrinking to the size of pinpoints.
Clearly, his anger had reached its peak.
Constrained by the human body, he indeed couldn't unleash much power, but he wouldn't tolerate such humiliation by a mere human.
"Your soul..."
Mephisto gritted his teeth, "I will take your soul!"
"Many have wanted my soul, you might need to ask the Satan and God of another world first... that is, if you can meet them and manage to defeat them."
While Constantine was speaking, he noticed Mephisto making a move.
A black mist burst forth, instantly enveloping the entire building.
Inside the building, people trapped in deep sleep shook violently in their beds, as if experiencing terrible nightmares, but they couldn't wake up.
Constantine remained awake, possessing the ability to break this spell.
However, it was somewhat strenuous.
Of course, according to Constantine usual approach, troublesome tasks are always for others to handle.
He waits for others to perish before he steps in to play his part.
Therefore, he had no intention of intervening, especially when there was someone more suitable beside him to take on Mephisto.
Behind him, the Ghost Rider, fully skeletalized Johnny, ablaze with roaring hellfire, suddenly appeared in front of Constantine.
Completely controlled by the Spirit of Vengeance, Johnny, transformed into the Ghost Rider, had completely lost control over his own body.
An unprecedented demonic nature grew in Johnny mind, completely devouring his self-awareness.
In other words, his body was now under the control of the Spirit of Vengeance.
"John Constantine..."
The Ghost Rider moved behind Constantine, his searing presence making Constantine feel an intense heat, reminiscent of familiar territories.
Of course, Constantine "familiar territories" usually refer to Hell.
"It seems that Hell, no matter which world, always looks the same..."
Constantine turned around, facing the Ghost Rider hollow, no, rather eyeless sockets on his face.
"Is this the Penance Stare?"
He was as calm as if facing a harmless pet dog, smiling slightly: "Well, if you want to judge me, go ahead and try."
The Penance Stare activated.
Constantine smiled, feeling no change whatsoever.
"Why?"
The Ghost Rider was baffled, his fury giving way to a bizarre calmness, filled with profound confusion.
"Why can't I see your soul?"
"Your soul... seems to be protected by an immensely powerful presence..."
The flames around the Ghost Rider eye sockets began to flicker, signifying changes in the Penance Stare.
Constantine remained utterly composed.
"Because, to judge my soul, you are not qualified."
He said, "Although this is not the original world, my soul is still sealed by their power..."
At this point, feeling something, he turned around again to face Mephisto, who was gradually revealing his form in the space shrouded in black mist.
"Including you, Mephi..."
"My soul, you are not worthy to possess either!"
"Mephi..."
Hearing that name, Ghost Rider old and new grudges surged simultaneously.
Throughout the ages, he was never one to obey Mephisto commands willingly.
Otherwise, Mephisto wouldn't be so desperately desiring his power, always undermining the Kael family across generations.
Boom!
With a casual flick, an ornamental chain in the room heated up as if set aflame, turning red-hot and flying into the Ghost Rider hands as if alive.
Following that, the chain transformed into a whip and lashed fiercely at Mephisto.
Bang!
Mephisto body was sent flying once again.
Under the influence of the chain, the mist enveloping the building considerably thinned.
The human incarnation of Mephisto was no match for the Ghost Rider.
Especially now, as his human body was severely aged and close to its natural end, Mephisto powers were significantly restricted.
Understandably, as Constantine enraged Mephisto, the latter, in his fury, demonstrated the wrath of a lord of Hell, at the cost of accelerating the aging of his human body.
In other words, Mephisto wouldn't last long on Earth anymore and needed to find a new body.
This was, of course, easier said than done.
On the other side, Constantine, observing the Ghost Rider rampage through the mist and pursue Mephisto, was not surprised.
For a long time, the Ghost Rider was also known as "the Wrath of God."
Though Zarathos is the Spirit of Vengeance, he is ultimately a creation of God.
Heaven, where God resides, and Hell, home to the demons, are adversaries in any world.
If Johnny, having fully embraced the Spirit of Vengeance and shifted from red to blue flames, increasing his power, he might well have the capacity to make a round trip to Hell.
"This matter won't end so quickly…"
In the end, Mephisto left a harsh threat, disappearing along with the black mist from Constantine sight.
Johnny remained in his transformed state as the Ghost Rider, his hollow, flaming eye sockets sweeping over Constantine.
He then turned, descended the stairs, mounted his Ghost Rider motorcycle, and with a trail of fiery tire marks, vanished into the horizon.
The Ghost Rider duty and desire are to punish the guilty.
Evidently uninterested in Constantine, whom he couldn't judge, he set out to search for darkness under the wings of angels in Los Angeles, known as the "City of Angels."
It was destined to be an extraordinary night.