Rise of the Crusader



Raphael watched in awe as Sybilla and the beast fused together in a grotesque yet mesmerizing dance. He wanted to intervene, to halt the transformation before it could complete itself, but in a mere four seconds, it was over.

He took a step back, his face betraying no emotion as he studied Sybilla's new form.

She now towered at a monstrous seven feet, her visage an eerie amalgamation of her own and the beast's. Her long hair cascaded to the ground, while her lower body was entirely overtaken by the creature's powerful frame.

A cruel sneer crossed Sybilla's lips as she observed Raphael's reaction, mistaking his silence for fear. "Hahaha! You don't seem so invincible now, do you?" she taunted, her voice cold and triumphant. "But it's too late, Raphael. I will be your end."

"I promise." With those final words, she lunged towards Raphael, her face devoid of emotion.

As Sybilla closed in, Raphael attempted to move, only to find his leg immobilized. Panic set in as the rest of his body quickly followed suit, leaving him trapped and vulnerable.

He looked up, meeting Sybilla's predatory gaze, and knew she was responsible. "Damn mind control," he muttered, his expression darkening.

Sybilla's power had already been formidable, but her merger with the beast had only amplified it. Now, she was more dangerous than ever.

She was just a few feet away when she opened her mouth, spewing forth a torrent of black flames that devoured everything in their path. Raphael braced himself, but instead of searing pain, he heard his own laughter.

The flames that had enveloped his face retreated, and Sybilla stared at him in disbelief. He stood unscathed, an amused smile playing on his lips. "There are few things in this world that frighten me, Sybilla," he said confidently. "And I assure you, flames of any shade—black, white, red, or blue—are not among them."

To emphasize his point, Raphael clenched his fist, and the black flames that had once threatened to consume him now swirled around his hand, obedient to his command. His smile broadened as he prepared to fight back, demonstrating the true extent of his own power.

Before Sybilla could react, Raphael unleashed a powerful punch with full force, causing her to stagger several steps backward.

Her eyes widened as the black flames she had conjured suddenly turned against her. Fear coursed through her veins, for if anyone knew the true danger of the black flames, it was her.

"Y-You," she stuttered.

Raphael had timed his punch perfectly, leaving Sybilla with no chance to dodge the blow. As the punch and black flames collided with her body, she trembled violently, her body wracked with pain.

Despite the toll of the mind control, Raphael managed to gather enough strength for his next attack. His face set in determination, he conjured four small orbs from his ring and launched them into the air.

With a seeming intelligence of their own, the orbs hovered and began to circle around Sybilla.

"I will kill you!" Sybilla's enraged voice echoed throughout the area. Raphael's lips curled into a mocking smile, his reply dripping with sarcasm.

"Perhaps in another world." With those words, the orbs encircling Sybilla began to emit lightning.

The electricity spread across her entire frame, then shot skyward. Sybilla was oblivious to this until she extinguished the black flames, only to discover the previously clear sky had darkened ominously.

Puzzlement etched her face as she turned toward Raphael, and upon seeing his mocking expression, she realized he was behind this new development.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, a bolt of lightning struck her with ferocious intensity. Sybilla's eyes darted in panic, her body convulsing from the shock.

As if the first bolt wasn't enough, a dark cloud coalesced above her, sending another devastating surge of lightning through her body.

Sybilla's eyes twitched uncontrollably as the lightning's damage tore through her. It hadn't only wreaked havoc on her exterior but had also ravaged her body's interior. The destructive power of the lightning left her reeling in pain and struggling to catch her breath.

"You..." she managed to utter, her gaze fixated on Raphael. The initial fear she had felt for him intensified threefold. It was at this moment that she began to understand the root of his confidence.

His assurance didn't stem solely from his absolute decay powers, but also from the gadget he wielded. Sybilla had suspected as much at first, but she hadn't anticipated that the gadget would have such a significant impact when it came to facing an SS-Rank meta.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as she looked at the white disk in Raphael's hand. It appeared ordinary, but she knew better than to underestimate him.

His confidence seemed to grow with each passing moment, as if he were taunting her, suggesting that there was nothing she could do to avoid the impending catastrophe.

As another ominous cloud formed above her, Sybilla staggered several steps back. The previous two bolts of lightning had left her battered, her body in a gruesome state.

Blood stained her figure, her skin peeled away, and the agonizing pain from the lightning's assault was nearly unbearable. She couldn't fathom enduring another strike, and this cloud appeared twice as large as its predecessors.

Sybilla somehow knew that if this bolt were to hit her, she might lose her sanity. As she observed Raphael, who was covered in sweat and gasping for breath, a small smile formed on her lips.

That's right... there's no way summoning those bolts of lightning wouldn't take a toll on him. After all, he was defying nature with every strike.

Her realization gave her a glimmer of hope. Due to the damage inflicted by the lightning, her mind control abilities were weakened and less effective on Raphael. She could sense his weakened state, and she knew that it was time to strike.

But before she could act, Raphael spoke.

"Let's end this," he muttered, his determination etched across his face.

He wiped the beads of sweat from his brow and straightened up. Taking a deep breath, he produced the disk from his storage ring.

Sybilla's unease grew as she watched him hold the disk with both hands. She had no idea what to expect, but she knew that it couldn't be good. She braced herself for impact, her heart pounding in her chest.

And then, to her surprise, Raphael shattered the disk.

Sybilla watched in shock as the fragments of the disk fell to the ground. She wondered what Raphael was planning, but the answer revealed itself within seconds as the earth began to shake violently beneath them.

The sky turned a sinister shade of black, and a chaotic wind surged around them. As Sybilla gazed at the numerous dark clouds filling the heavens, she swallowed hard and retreated several steps.

A short distance away, a blue owl soared through the air, a look of worry etched onto his face. As he observed the darkened sky, his concern only heightened.

"I knew she had angered you, Raphael," Gus muttered apprehensively, "but I didn't think it would lead to this extent."