Rise of the Crusader



Hearing the woman call out his full name, a sneer curled at the corners of Raphael's lips. His eyes locked onto hers, his eyebrows furrowing in suspicion.

In contrast, the woman appeared utterly at ease. A blissful expression played across her face as she studied him. Her tail flicked behind her, and after a moment, she began to wander around the room.

She couldn't help but nod in appreciation at the gadgets displayed in each cabinet. It was undeniable that when it came to innovation and creation, Raphael was among the best.

Pausing in front of a particularly intriguing device, she turned back towards him. "Which gadget would you recommend for me?" she asked, her smile taking on a seductive quality.

Raphael's expression remained unreadable, his curiosity piqued. The woman chuckled softly, understanding his confusion. "Don't bother. We haven't met before," she clarified, before quickly correcting herself. "Or rather, we haven't officially met."

His brows knit together, and his stance shifted, betraying his readiness to act should she provoke him. The woman, however, seemed unperturbed by his guarded demeanor.

"Relax, Raphael. If I wanted to make a move on you, would we still be having this conversation?" She folded her arms, drawing attention to her voluptuous figure. But her attempt to entice him failed; Raphael's gaze never wavered from her face. She shook her head, almost impressed.

"You're really not like the others, are you?"

Despite her earlier flirtation, she was sincere in her request. "But seriously, what gadget would you recommend for me?" Her eyes scanned the glass cabinets, filled with awe-inspiring inventions.

"I've heard you help others choose the perfect gadget for them. Why not do the same for me? Or do you reserve that special treatment for others?" She said.

Raphael finally broke his silence. "I need to know what your abilities are before I can make a recommendation. And even then, I can't guarantee there's something here for you."

She placed a hand on her chin, considering his words. "Isn't it impressive that you're so well-informed about people's abilities, and can create gadgets to aid them? It's intriguing, but also rather unsettling, don't you think?"

You are, after all, the expert on spying on people and taking note of their strengths and weaknesses." The smile that remained on her lips held a sinister edge.

As Raphael stared at the woman, a thousand questions raced through his mind. Despite his extensive research on the people and creatures of the new age city, he had never encountered this enigmatic figure.

Baffled, he took a deep breath and flashed her a wry smile. "I'm just trying to make the world a better place," he said.

The room fell into a tense silence as they locked eyes. The atmosphere grew heavy and charged, and it seemed as though a confrontation was inevitable. Just as the tension reached its peak, the woman finally broke the silence.

"If you insist on knowing my ability before recommending a gadget, I won't tell you. I'll show you," she said.

In the space of a heartbeat, Raphael found himself stepping closer to her. Dropping to one knee, he looked into her eyes and asked, "Will you marry me?"

The words left his mouth before he could process them. Startled, he shook his head and scrambled to his feet, putting distance between them. His expression was one of confusion as he muttered, "Mind control."

The woman nodded, a satisfied smile spreading across her face as she reveled in his shock. "Mind control is just one of my powers," she confided. "Now that you know, what gadget do you recommend?"

"I want something exceptional," she added, clapping her hands in excitement at the prospect of a device that would enhance her mind control abilities.

Raphael walked to a glass cabinet, opened it, and retrieved a small, glittering black stone. As he brought it closer to the woman, she noticed tiny cracks etched across its surface, adding an air of mystery.

Her curiosity piqued, she couldn't help but ask, "What is this? How can it possibly help me with my mind control?"

Around her, she had seen others leave with high-tech weapons and gadgets, and yet all she was being offered was a small black stone. Undeterred by her skepticism, Raphael began to explain.

"This stone will enhance your mental strength whenever you use your mind control. By holding it like this," he demonstrated, "you'll be able to tap into its power."

Though he didn't elaborate on the stone's full properties, the woman's expression shifted from doubt to intrigue as he finished.

"That's impressive," she admitted, taking the black stone in her hand. "So, I just need to wrap my hand around the stone like this when I use my power, right?" She gripped it tightly as she spoke.

Raphael sensed that something was off as soon as the words left her lips. Before he could react, he found himself standing in front of the woman, leaning in closer to her inviting lips. She looked up at him with a seductive, coy expression and wrapped her hand around his, pulling him nearer.

Raphael's heart pounded in his chest as he became increasingly aware of the situation he found himself in. He desperately tried to break free from the woman's vice-like grip, but it seemed as though every cell and fiber in his body urged him to succumb to the magnetic pull of her lips.

"It's not as if you won't enjoy it, so relax," the woman murmured, her voice a tantalizing mixture of seduction and reassurance. "And, from what I've heard, I'm quite the skilled kisser." She licked her lips, her eyes never leaving his.

Summoning every ounce of willpower, Raphael strained to keep his lips from meeting hers. But with their faces mere inches apart, he suddenly realized he had a more pressing concern. A subtle touch on his lower body sent a jolt through him, and despite his best efforts, he found it impossible to resist the woman's tender stroke.

"Hehe," the woman chuckled, clearly entertained by Raphael's valiant struggle. She seemed to revel in his predicament, and with their faces locked in such close proximity, she languidly trailed her other hand across his cheek.

"You know, I've had my eye on you ever since you joined the academy," she confessed, her fingers gently tracing a path down to his chest. "If anyone knows you better than yourself, it's me, Raphael."

The woman leaned in, her breath warm against his neck. If it were any other man in Raphael's position, they would have undoubtedly lost themselves in her intoxicating presence. Her beauty was breathtaking, and she possessed an enigmatic allure that ensnared men in her web.

Shock registered on Raphael's face as he processed her admission. He stared at the woman, his mind racing with questions, the most pressing of which being: who was she?

As her hand continued its slow journey across his chest, she applied the slightest pressure. "But what I don't understand is why you do some of the things you do, Raphael."

Her voice was soft yet unnervingly commanding as she asked, "What plans do you have for this city, Raphael?"