Rise of the Crusader



Sybilla jerked away from Raphael's grip on her hair, stumbling several steps back. A horrified expression painted her face as she stammered, "How did you know?"

Of all the people she'd encountered over the years, only a handful knew her deepest secret. Yet somehow, Raphael, who had spent mere moments with her, had uncovered the key to her immortality. As she stared at him with a mixture of fear and confusion, Sybilla couldn't help but wonder how he had figured it out.

"Was it the boomerang from earlier?" she asked, her voice wavering. Despite her uncertainty, a fierce determination flashed in her eyes. "You figuring this out doesn't change anything. In fact, it gives me more reason to kill you."

The air grew heavy with tension, and the surrounding flames intensified. Yet, they seemed to shy away from Raphael, as if something about him repelled them.

Raphael's lips curled into a faint smile. "While you think it doesn't change anything, we both know that it does. You might have been able to hide it from others, but not from me."

He paused, his gaze never leaving Sybilla's. "At first, I didn't notice. But when that boomerang sliced off your head, and your hair shimmered, even if just for a moment, it caught my attention. And as I recall, when I ripped at your chest, it happened again. The pieces added up, and it would be insulting not to realize the truth."

Raphael crossed his arms as the flames continued to retreat from his presence. "The secret to your immortality is your hair. So long as it exists before your death, you will continue to re-emerge." His voice was steady, confident.

"I might not be able to kill you now— who knows how many strands you have hidden— but I can assure you, it won't be long until your head lies at my feet."

Sybilla swallowed hard, her eyes flickering with a myriad of emotions. Taking a deep breath, she exclaimed, "Very good!"

"Even if I wanted to obey the higher-ups and leave you be, now that you know this, I have even more reason to kill you," she said, her voice cold. "I'll not only learn what makes you so confident, but I'll also end your life."

As she spoke, the seven-foot-tall beast behind her approached. With a calm, deep voice, it addressed her. "Allow me to handle this, Sybilla. You need not dirty your hands. I shall do the job for you."

Unlike Sybilla, the beast seemed unconcerned with Raphael's knowledge. All that mattered was absolute strength, and even if Raphael knew Sybilla's secret, without the power to back it up, he was destined to fail.

Sybilla shook her head, her eyes never leaving Raphael. "There's no need, Rio," she said, addressing the towering beast beside her. "I'll handle him."

Her expression darkened, and though neither she nor Raphael physically moved, it was clear they were locked in a mental battle.

Raphael grimaced, feeling the pressure of Sybilla's mind control. She was trying to force him to step into the flames that surrounded them, but he resisted, his eyes narrowing as he stared her down.

A triumphant smile spread across Sybilla's face, believing she'd gained the upper hand in their mental struggle. But before she could issue her first command, Raphael's expression shifted to a sly smirk. In one fluid motion, a dagger appeared in his hand and he lunged towards her.

Sybilla's surprise was evident, but she quickly regained her composure and attempted to use her mind control again. She had always relied on her psychic abilities, forgoing the physical training most metas underwent to reduce their weaknesses.

"H-How..." she stammered, retreating as she found her power ineffective against Raphael. He advanced relentlessly, unfazed by her attempts to halt his progress.

When Raphael finally stood before her, he raised the dagger in a swift arc. Sybilla squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the blow, but it never came. Instead, she heard the faint sound of something falling to the ground. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw Raphael's sadistic grin and immediately felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Her hand shot up to her head, fingers grasping at the now-shortened strands of her once-long white hair. Horrified realization spread across her face as she understood the extent of Raphael's cruelty.

"I will kill you!" she screamed, her eyes burning with rage.

The atmosphere around her grew heavy, the malice emanating from her body so suffocating it seemed to rise from the depths of hell itself.

But Raphael remained unfazed, his eyes challenging her to make a move. And as if to taunt her further, he reached out, grabbing the remaining locks of her hair. Within the span of a heartbeat, he caused them to wither and disintegrate, leaving Sybilla completely bald.

Sybilla's scream of fury echoed through the air. She clenched her fist and swung it at Raphael with all her strength, intending to crush him with a single blow.

Raphael caught her punch with ease, a mocking smile playing on his lips. He began to squeeze her hand, the darkness of his decay powers seeping into her flesh and bones like a malevolent poison.

Sybilla's agony was palpable as her hand crumbled to dust in a matter of seconds, leaving only a mangled stump at her wrist. Rio, the hulking beast who had been silently observing the grim exchange, could hardly believe what he was witnessing. His massive form tensed, preparing to intervene, but Sybilla held up her remaining hand, stopping him.

Gaze locked on Raphael, her voice seething with rage, she hissed through gritted teeth, "I will shred you into pieces."

After she spoke, Sybilla slowly approached Rio, the seven-foot tall beast behind her. Her remaining hand trembled slightly as she reached out, placing it gently on his body. "Let's end this," she said, her face a mask of steely determination.

Rio nodded his massive head, his eyes closing as he focused on the task at hand.

Meanwhile, Raphael stared at Sybilla and Rio, his initial bewilderment shifting to calculating curiosity. As much as he wanted to finish the battle quickly and torment Sybilla, he knew he had to eliminate the beast first.

His earlier display of cruelty was meant to prevent Sybilla from using her mind control when he faced Rio. The beast was the first obstacle to overcome before he could deal with Sybilla personally.

As Sybilla and Rio closed their eyes, Raphael bore witness to a scene that left him momentarily speechless.

The edges of their bodies began to blur, their forms melding together like liquid metal. But his expression of shock was soon replaced with one of twisted excitement as he realized the implications of this unexpected turn of events.

Sybilla and Rio were merging into one.

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