~Cling~ The sound of clashing swords shocked Raphael.
'Bam!' A power kick to the face from Henry sent him some skidding some meters back.
It was silent, everywhere was silent as both Riley and Raphael tried to understand what just happened.
Henry when he landed on the tilt of his sword used a transparent string from his robe to tie to the hilt of the sword. Once mid-air and Raphael had positioned just the way he wanted, using the string he pulled the sword towards him and was able to parry the attack.
"T...this is insane, how did he move like that?" Riley wondered how Henry changed his attack position midair. It told her two things. One is that he's quick witted and two is that he's tactical. He had calculated his moves and got Raphael where he wanted.
"You manage to surprise me every time," Raphael said and spat out blood. He had a blessed skin as a gift for possessing the blood Supreme eye, although not as powerful as his senior sister's, it would be difficult to damage him easily. But Henry made him bleed.
"Tell me brother, what are you? Henry, the devil or a damned bird." He let said letting out a killing intent that made Henry immediately stand on guard.
"I told you not to kill him!" Riley yelled
"I know so shut it already dammit!" Raphael yelled back at her.
Henry who watched them gritted his teeth with the plan of advancing to attack. He was almost too sure that Raphael wasn't going to keep the promise of letting him out, considering the way the fight turned out and their intention for visiting in the first place.
~Badump!~
"Khuk" Henry spat out blood as a sharp burning pain ran through his veins to his heart. He fell to the ground unable to move
~bluuurt~
~Cough, cough!~ He coughed a couple of times and then looked at his hand to see the blood he had coughed up.
'Dammit! The poison...' Henry thought, as his eyes, ears and nose started bleeding. He looked at his siblings as he could feel his consciousness drifting away.
'Is it really worth living?' He thought. The pain started to ease, but he knew it wasn't a good thing, his vision became blurry.
He looked at Riley and stretched his hands towards her for help, but, instead met with her smiling face. She was mocking him, she was happy and satisfied with his situation. They were thrilled!
'No, I must live. I must escape this hellhole and exert my revenge. I must kill them all' He thought before falling to the ground.
~Thud~
His body lay on the pool of blood surrounding his head.
"I... Am.... Not going... To die." He muttered to himself, ironing his resolve with his last strength, and just before his consciousness drifted away he looked at Raphael.
~Thud~
~Cough, cough, cough!~
Raphael fell to his knee, and began to violently let out a dry cough, Riley ran up to Raphael in the arena, but was disgusted with what she saw.
"Eww what are you doing? Why the heck are you coughing like that? It's not like it's the first time you're seeing blood?" She moved some meters away from Raphael.
"Haaaa, haaa, haaa"
Raphael breathed loudly, struggling for air. He put his hand in his pocket, brought out a white handkerchief and used it to clean his mouth before throwing it aside.
"Sigh..." He heaved a long sigh before asking Riley
"... Did you see that?"
"Henry in his pool of blood, if that..."
"No, I'm talking about his eyes" Raphael cuts her in.
"It glowed," he continued, "it glowed red just like it did when he was a child." Raphael said, a hint of fear in his voice.
Riley understood a bit, she could never forget the fear she felt back then. It was ten times more terrifying than her father's anger.
"And so?"
"You don't get it Riley, I think, the devil...you know what, forget it." He said as the fear in his voice began to clear up. He bit his lips.
Riley watched him as he stood up and dusted himself.
"It seems like your poison worked." Raphael said.
"Amazing right?! this boy was the one...his body suppressed the poison, but as he was getting a beating from you...or the other way round, he loosened up and the effects of the poison kicked in." Riley said as she immediately brought out a book and pen from her storage ring and started writing down her observation.
"He must have been feeling a lot of pain since before you both started to spar, but he didn't show any signs or say anything, it's like he knew our motive, yet he still played along. He's dangerous. Now we have to deal with him to get to the devil. This might be more difficult than it should be."
"I agree, what if the devil fully possesses him?" Raphael asked.
"The. It'd be a disaster. A disaster that dad might have to join hands with that man to stop." Riley said.
"Even then, are you sure they'll win?" Raphael said and Riley kept silent. "By the way, aren't you supposed to call the medics around here, he's probably going to die from that much blood lost." Raphael pointed out.
Riley checked his pulse.
"He's alive but let's still call the medics." She ordered.
Raphael used a sound amplifier to notify the medics of Henry's situation. And immediately a group of medics appeared with a pram to carry him, without questioning either Raphael or Riley.
"He's a very worthy opponent, I look forward to playing with him again." Raphael said to himself, Riley looked at him while rolling her eyes.
"You're too dramatic, I told you to become an actor." She complained.
"I'm out of here." Raphael said as he started walking out, his both hands were in his pocket.
'I saw it, he asked me for help, it was the first time my heart skipped. I was a bit excited at first when the poison kicked in, I was so happy that my project didn't fail but seeing him stretch out his hand asking me for help makes my heart...hurt,' Riley thought putting her hand close to her chest.
'But unfortunately, such emotion leads to one's downfall. I'm sorry brother, but I choose to continue being the villain. Soon I'll take the devil from you and I'll be saving you then.' she thought.
"You prick wait for me" Riley said following behind him.