Rise of the Crusader



The woman asked in a calm, measured voice, "What plans do you have for this city, Raphael Queen?"

Raphael's mouth opened slowly, and he spoke with an unsettling confidence. "I want to dominate this world." As if realizing the information he had just revealed, a deep frown formed on his face.

Though he was unable to move an inch of his body due to the woman's control, he still managed to make his rage visible.

Her lips curved into a knowing smile, and she peered deep into his eyes. Surprisingly, there was no hint of shock on her face; it was as if she had anticipated his answer.

"And let me ask you," the woman continued, her voice steady and unyielding. "Why do you want to dominate this city? What do you plan to gain from it?"

Raphael shook his head, resisting the urge to divulge his intentions. The woman's mind control bore down on him relentlessly, and a pained expression crossed his features.

"Answer me! Why do you want to dominate this city?" Her voice was stern, and her expression grim.

The woman's body emanated an overbearing and deadly aura, and the look in her eyes made it clear that she would not hesitate to kill him if he refused to answer.

Blood trickled from the corner of Raphael's mouth and his nose. The mind control had such a firm grip on him that the more he resisted, the more damage he inflicted upon himself.

His breathing became labored, and after a moment, dizziness washed over his body. Despite his suffering, there was not a trace of sympathy on the woman's face. Instead, she maintained her hold on him, demanding an answer.

"Why do you want this city, Raphael?"

As she uttered those words, Raphael coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body trembled violently as the mind control wreaked havoc on his brain and cells.

"I... I..." he stammered. The woman applied even more pressure, and finally, Raphael spoke. "I want power to deal with my family, and the beast in this city can give me that."

The woman released her hold on Raphael, studying him for a moment longer, as if weighing the truth of his words. Finally, her lips curled into a smile. "If you had just told me earlier, we wouldn't have gotten into this position," she said, the previous killing intent in her eyes replaced by a bewitching smile.

With a smile still on her face, she leaned toward Raphael and gently pecked his cheek. As she began to pull away from him, an astonishing event occurred.

In a flash, Raphael's right hand shot forward, piercing the woman's chest. His aim was unerring, deftly avoiding organs and cells as he reached for her heart. With ruthless precision, he tore it out.

The woman's eyes widened in shock, her once-confident smile replaced by a mask of horror. Raphael reveled in her dismay as she crumpled to the ground, lifeless. He squeezed the blood from the heart in his hand before tossing it into a nearby bin.

The corner of his lips twitched into a smile as the heart landed with a soft thud. He wiped the blood from his mouth, but his frown returned as he glanced at the woman on the ground.

"Why didn't you end her sooner?" Gus's voice echoed in the room. Though the owl was still outside, their telepathic connection allowed them to communicate freely.

Raphael shook his head. "I couldn't. Her mind control was more powerful than I anticipated. Even without the stone, she could have trapped me." He bent down to retrieve the black, glittering stone. "I've prepared for metas with mind control abilities before, but she surpassed my expectations."I think you should take a look at

He stared at the woman, awestruck by the potency of her powers. The mind control she wielded was beyond the contingencies he'd put in place.

"I'll need to upgrade some of my gadgets. If someone can counter my mind control defenses, I can only imagine what other metas are out there."

As the woman's body decayed, leaving no trace of her existence, apart from her ashes Raphael spoke. "Send in someone worthy, Gus. I'm growing tired of their incompetence."

A sultry voice replied, "Hehe, sweetheart, if there's someone worthy, it would be me."

Raphael's brow furrowed as he looked up. Standing before the glass cabinet displaying his gadgets was the woman he had just killed. His gaze darted between the ashes on the ground and the figure before him.

Though shock coursed through him, he refused to let it show on his face. He had torn her heart out and used his power of absolute decay to reduce her to ashes. Yet she stood there, her body whole and unblemished.

Raphael maintained a neutral expression as he studied the woman.

"You must have a question to ask, don't you, Raphael?" The woman's enigmatic gaze shifted towards him, her expression an unreadable mask, devoid of a smile or frown.

Raphael shook his head, his face an icy façade. "I have no questions. But if there's something you'd like to see, by all means, do so. Otherwise, I suggest you leave this place."

There was something unsettling about the woman that gnawed at him, and it was beginning to test his normally unflappable demeanor.

"Come now," she chided gently, "if anyone should be upset between the two of us, shouldn't it be me, Raphael?"

"You did try to kill me after all," She tore her gaze away from the glass cabinet and fixed him with a steady stare.

Seeing the frosty expression on his face, she sighed and took a few steps towards him, only to halt abruptly. "On second thought, I'll stay here. I don't want someone ripping my heart out."

"It's not like that would kill you," Raphael muttered under his breath.

She nodded, conceding his point. "True, but I can still feel pain." Her eyes locked onto his, the intensity of her gaze unyielding. "I'm not your enemy, Raphael. Quite the contrary, I may be the only ally you have in this godforsaken place."

"We're past that discussion now!" Raphael snapped, his patience finally wearing thin. "If you have nothing to say, leave, or I'll make a move against you."

His voice was brimming with confidence and certainty, causing the woman's eyebrows to furrow. "And I assure you, you won't survive my next move."

The corners of her mouth turned up in a wry smile. "Why don't you take your best shot, then? Tell me, what is it about you that makes you think you can kill an immortal?"

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