Johnny didn't doubt the pure and lovely girl before him at all.
As long as one is human, they are mostly visual creatures, and even Johnny himself was no exception; it was no wonder others feared he was a monster.
The good thing about Johnny was that he wasn't hypocritical; he really didn't blame others for misunderstanding him. He had a classic personality that appeared extroverted but was actually very self-deprecating.
But putting her face aside, Lux's defense of him as a "good person" just now had a devastating impact on Johnny.
"Phew..." Johnny let out a long sigh, the flames on his body dimming a bit, looking exceptionally lonely.
"A good person... I haven't heard that word in a long time. Everyone calls me a wraith, calls me a monster."
Yes, this was Sumire's Plan B.
Since a direct assault couldn't Control the body, she would use wit to capture the heart.
Sumire precisely grasped Ghost Rider's current pain point—
The current Johnny was in his most confused stage.
He had lost his father, left his lover, had no friends, and wandered alone carrying a curse.
He was afraid of hurting others, so he exiled himself, but deep down, he craved to be understood more than anyone, craved for someone to tell him: "You are not a monster, you are still Johnny Blaze."
So, Sumire had her Incarnation write, direct, and act out such a fine play.
As expected, this fearsome Ghost Rider had now been completely captivated by Lux.
It was fortunate this wasn't a Galgame World and Johnny was a middle-aged man with principles.
Otherwise, Sumire really feared he would present his exclusive CG to Lux in the next second.
If that happened... Lux felt it would be better to let Makima come back and find a hole to bury this perverted skeleton man in.
"Is a monster like me... really worth saving?"
Johnny looked up, his voice carrying a heartbreaking humility.
Lux didn't answer immediately.
She stepped forward slowly, ignoring the scorching Hellfire, and reached out her fair palm to lightly tap Ghost Rider's skeletal chest.
*Thump.*
A soft sound.
Johnny only felt his body lighten as his perspective changed.
That skeleton frame still stood in place, but he—the real Johnny Blaze—floated out of that terrifying skin.
This was a translucent soul body.
Though his face was covered in stubble and his eyes were weary, and he wore a worn leather jacket, one could vaguely see the handsome and rebellious stunt rider he was in his youth.
He looked down at his palms, which were no longer burning and no longer bone, then looked at the motionless skeleton frame beside him, which seemed to be in standby mode.
Johnny was completely dumbfounded.
On one hand, he had never seen such miraculous magic that could temporarily separate the soul and body.
On the other hand... it felt so good.
It felt truly wonderful.
It was like a person who had carried a thousand-pound burden for years suddenly dropping it, or a terminal patient tortured by pain for countless days and nights taking a miraculous painkiller.
The voice of the Spirit of Vengeance in his mind, always full of slaughter and violence, had vanished.
The pain that constantly scorched his soul had also disappeared.
All that remained was a long-lost peace and tranquility.
"This..." Johnny trembled with excitement, looking at Lux as if he were looking at God. "Is this... the real me?"
"That's right." Lux smiled, her voice ethereal and sacred. Although her age and personality were still a bit immature, Sumire could somehow see a bit of the Ancient One's shadow in her. Indeed, one-on-one tutoring from a great master makes a difference.
"This terrifying skeletal image is just armor donned by heaven to deter evil; it is an illusion. And this is the you I see."
A finishing blow.
This sentence was a nuclear-level psychological critical hit for Johnny.
The big man's eyes instantly turned red, nearly shedding tears on the spot. Like grasping at the last straw, he floated before Lux and asked excitedly, "Can I stay like this forever? Miss Lux! Please!"
"I don't want to go back! I don't want to feel that anger and pain anymore!"
Johnny spoke with increasing excitement. Having suffered for so long, he now had serious self-destructive tendencies.
As long as he could escape his identity as Ghost Rider, he would be happy to ascend to heaven on the spot.
"Ah?" Now it was Lux's turn to panic.
What did he mean by not wanting to go back?
The smile on her face almost cracked.
"Holy crap, don't do that, big brother!" Behind the scenes, Sumire was jumping with anxiety. "I worked so hard writing the script and acting just to eventually bring back a soulless, powerless skeleton frame as a specimen!"
"I want the Ghost Rider with the Hell Cycle who can fight and tank! Not a 'doodad'!"
"What would I do with an empty shell skeleton? Hang it at the S.H.I.E.L.D. entrance on Halloween to scare Nick Fury?"
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