Rise of the Crusader



Raphael's gaze locked onto the woman before him, a tumult of emotions swirling within his eyes. His face was etched with a primal shock that deepened with each passing second.

The questions began to accumulate in his mind, piling up like a barricade against the reality he was forced to confront.

Why? When? How?

Gus had always been considered to be his true confidante, his pillar in a world full of uncertainty. The revelation that his trusted friend was not as he seemed shattered him. He felt like a sailor lost at sea — the lighthouse he had depended on turned out to be a mirage. His trust in Gus, once unshakeable, had been schemed away.

The revelations that had just unfolded shook him to his core. The Blue Owl he had known since childhood was nothing more than a disguise, a carefully orchestrated scheme.

He realized he knew nothing about Gus, despite all the years they'd spent together.

In the blink of an eye, the shock that had painted his face morphed into seething rage. His gaze hardened, locking onto the blue-haired woman before him with an intensity that could have set the world ablaze.

Raphael took a few steps back, his body instinctively shifting into a battle-ready stance.

"Who are you? What do you want?" His voice was frigid, the icy shards of betrayal lacing every word he spoke.

Meanwhile, Latario watched the unfolding drama with a sardonic grin spreading across his face. He crossed his arms over his chest, a light smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

A chuckle escaped his lips, blooming into full-blown laughter as he reveled in the expression etched onto Raphael's face.

The laughter echoed for a handful of heartbeats before slowly dying off, replaced by a fury that mirrored Raphael's own.

"So," he began, the smirk still plastered on his face, "you've been the puppeteer behind the boy all this time." He flashed a smile, cold and deadly. "How shocking. The Blue Owl was, in reality, a beast in human guise."

Latario's outburst shattered the tense silence, his voice filled with incredulity. "Wait, half human-half beast? How could I have missed that?" His expression grew colder by the second, his icy gaze fixed on the woman before him.

Undeterred by his anger, she met his glare with poise, her own demeanor unfazed. Her eyes briefly flickered toward Raphael before returning to Latario, a glint of determination in her gaze.

"Nevertheless, now that you're here, I will put an end to you, and then I will end his life as well," Latario declared, clenching his hand into a tight fist, as if preparing to strike.

To the woman, Latario's display resembled nothing more than a child's tantrum, and she regarded him with a mere glance before shifting her attention back to Raphael.

Her voice softened, carrying a note of hope. "I know you have many questions, but for now, you must hold onto them."

Raphael's response was curt, his tone cold and distant. "Are you from the Queen's?"

The woman's words seemed to wash over him, his focus unyielding and his expression resolute. An air of determination enveloped him, shaping his features into a mask of unwavering resolve.

The woman's voice faltered as she began, "Ra-Raphael. You need to—"

But her words were swiftly cut off as Raphael interjected with an unyielding tone. "I don't care what you have to say. Are you affiliated with the Queen's?" The chill in his voice surpassed anything heard before.

As Raphael locked eyes with the woman, his gaze revealed a void devoid of all emotion. The Raphael who had stood there just moments ago was unrecognizable—a transformed being.

Gone was any trace of warmth or flicker of sentiment; in its place, a frigid detachment took hold. An overwhelming surge of rage coursed through his veins, intensifying with each passing second he fixed his gaze upon her.

"I..." The woman struggled to find her voice, her words trapped in her throat.

Having been by Raphael's side for an extensive stretch of time, she had never witnessed this expression on his face or felt the aura he now emanated. It was an entirely unfamiliar experience, leaving her at a loss for words.

The woman stood before Raphael, her heart heavy with the realization that the person standing before her was no longer the Raphael she had known.

"Are you affiliated with the Queen's or not?" Raphael's urgent voice echoed through the air, filling the space between them.

Summoning her courage, she inhaled a deep, steadying breath and spoke, her voice tinged with a mixture of resignation and truth. "Yes, I am."

Time seemed to stand still, the world around them frozen in suspended animation as her words hung in the air, pregnant with significance.

Raphael's countenance underwent a rapid succession of emotions, flickering across his face like a kaleidoscope of conflicting feelings.

With closed eyes, he drew in a shuddering breath, as if seeking solace in the darkness behind his eyelids. Then, with resolute determination, he opened his eyes, revealing a newfound resolve.

"Okay," he finally uttered, his voice steady yet laced with an undercurrent of uncertainty.

The woman shook her head, her eyes pleading as she interjected, desperate to convey her sincerity. "I'm not your enemy, Raphael. I never was, and I never will be."

Her words hung in the air, carrying the weight of her unwavering loyalty. She continued, her voice filled with aching sincerity, "The only reason I stand by the Queen is because of your father."

Raphael's response remained a simple "Okay."

"Raph..." The woman's voice barely had time to escape her lips before Latario, who had been silently observing their interaction, erupted into their midst.

Latario's eyes brimmed with a murderous intent as he shifted his gaze between Raphael and the woman. "How dare you both act as though I'm invisible!" he seethed.

In response, Raphael and the woman's expressions twisted into one of pure disgust. Their eyes locked onto Latario, regarding him as nothing more than a contemptible insect.

Casting a brief, disdainful glance in his direction, they swiftly averted their gaze, dismissing him with an air of indifference.

"Watch your manners, you wretched piece of filth!" Latario's words dripped with venom as he lunged towards the woman, his attack aimed to tear her to shreds.

With mere inches separating his hand from her chest, Gus reacted instinctively, her palm connecting with his face in a resounding slap.

The force of the slap reverberated through Latario's body, rippling like a shockwave. An expression of sheer horror twisted his features as he turned his gaze towards the woman who had just struck him.

As he opened his mouth to speak, a trickle of blood escaped his lips, staining his chin.

But the blood did not relent; it surged forth, pouring from his mouth in a relentless torrent. And then, in a matter of seconds, it began to seep from his ears, his nose, and finally, his scalp. Crimson rivulets traced intricate paths down his face, mingling with his sweat and tears.

Latario's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched, paralyzed by the grotesque spectacle unfolding before him. Tooth after tooth abandoned its post, cascading to the ground with a sickening clatter. Not a single one remained, leaving behind only raw, bloody gums.

A surge of electricity coursed through his veins, an agonizing jolt that drove him to the brink of madness.

It was as if his very life force was being drained, his cells and organs succumbing to an inexplicable decay. Desperate for survival, his body attempted to regenerate, but its efforts were futile, mere echoes of a lost vitality.

Gasping for breath, Latario's limbs grew weak, his strength waning with each passing moment. The world around him blurred as his vision faltered, his body succumbing to the relentless assault.

The woman who had unleashed this nightmare upon him watched, her eyes devoid of remorse or pity.

Latario's heart pounded in his chest, a wild rhythm that threatened to burst through his ribcage. His legs gave way beneath him, forcing him down onto one knee.

The expression etched across his face was one of sheer terror, his eyes locked with Gus's, imploring for answers he knew he wouldn't receive.

Time seemed to stretch agonizingly as Latario's body convulsed, a violent spasm wracking his frame. Then, with a gut-wrenching retch, he expelled a mouthful of blood onto the ground, the scarlet pool spreading at his feet.

His strength abandoned him, and he crumpled to the floor, a broken vessel of flesh and bone.

Gus shifted her gaze from the fallen Latario to Raphael, her features hardened with a mix of determination and regret.

Taking a steadying breath, she prepared herself to face the consequences of her actions. The weight of her words hung heavy in the air as she spoke.

"It seems I owe you an explanation, Raphael," she uttered, her voice tinged with a hint of sorrow.