Blood of the Innocent

File 15: Geralt

Dante opened his eyes. He looked around the bathroom to notice the dead bodies of Persona and Minny.

"What just happened?" he thought to himself, "It's like bullets came from the walls of the restroom and sprayed all of us."

Dante looked at his own body and noticed bullet holes in his chest and arms. Blood came out of the holes, slowly spewing over the restroom floor.

"Odd.." thought Dante, "I feel pain, but at the same time I don't. Is this what dying feels like?"

Out of instinct, Dante began sniffing the air. For some reason, he couldn't call in his demon wolves. It was probably due to the loss of blood. Or so it seemed.

"Even stranger," thought Dante, "I don't smell the scent of blood. Blood smells like a metallic smell, just like how it tastes. However, even with three bleeding bodies on the ground, it doesn't seem like I can smell any blood. My nose doesn't fail me."

Dante slowly stood up, limping towards Persona's body.

"Persona is the only person that can heal wounds as great as this," he thought, "I've got to check if he's alive."

Upon getting to Persona's body, Dante immediately noticed the bullet holes in his chest and throat. Those wounds usually lead to death. Dante stood up and limped towards the exit of the bathroom, trying to find the other gang members and warn them of another Magia user.

However, when Dante got outside, he saw the RV burst into flames. Everyone inside must've died.

"What kind of Magia user is this?" thought Dante, "The ability to create bullets out of thin air, the ability to make things explode, and the ability to conceal the scent of blood. It's all odd. Is this Geralt? The person who Marzio was calling for? How strong is this guy?"

Dante sat down near the restroom walls, trying to find a strategy. First, he needed to find out where Geralt was. Second, he needed to find out what his true ability is. Finally, he needs to find a crucial weakness and exploit it to defeat Geralt. Any mistake that Dante makes right now would cost him his life and only chance of survival. Now that the rest of the gang is dead, he can't rely on them to help.

Suddenly, the trees surrounding Dante began to reshape themselves and transform. He immediately tried to stand up and limp away, but the trees changed into missiles. They began to blast from the ground and targeted Dante. As the missiles got closer, Dante instinctively put up his reinforced skin, strengthening his skin as tough as a Nemean Lion. Dante was blown up on impact, hitting the restroom wall.

Dante opened his eyes to find himself covered in blood and ashes. The wall behind him was cracked. Finally, Dante remembered.

"Back at the restroom," he thought, "Before the bullets appeared, I instinctively put up my reinforced skin. This should've prevented me from getting hit by the bullets. Yet, when I woke up I was covered in holes and bleeding! That shouldn't be possible, no matter the Magia."

Dante stood up and immediately began noticing small errors in what was happening. The trees that changed into missiles were still there, as if they didn't turn into missiles at all. However, the ashes of the missiles was spread around the ground, meaning that missiles did hit Dante!

Dante smiled. He began to laugh like a lunatic, even as far as howling. He took out his white stainless-steel butterfly knife and slashed his arm. He had figured out the Magia that Geralt used. After he bloodied his arm, he opened his eyes once again. He was no longer bloody, and the ashes of the missile disappeared. Not only that, but the RV was back to normal. It was like it never exploded in the first place.

In front of Dante was a toddler about the age of seven. He smiled at him.

"Geralt," thought Dante, "Has Illusion Magia. He made all of us think that we were shot by bullets inside the restroom. He made me think that the RV exploded and missiles targeted me. However, all he did was trick my mental mind and give out an extreme force. This extreme force simulated the bullets and the missiles without actually harming the victim.

That's because, whenever the victim is injured, the Illusion Magia wears off. This Geralt guy was trying to keep us unconscious so he can finish off all of us in one attack without waking us up!

This explains why I couldn't smell the blood! It's because there was no blood at all!

And to think that Geralt is just a toddler. Proiettilo is hiring anyone with talent nowadays, aren't they?"

No one really died. They were all just knocked unconscious. Since Dante sliced his arm, he was able to break free from the Illusion Magia, allowing him to see Geralt clearly. Dante looked at Geralt and smiled once again.

He began to laugh and howl before demon wolves started appearing from behind him. Geralt fell down, shivering.

"You wouldn't hurt a toddler, would you?" asked Geralt.

Dante laughed once more before the wolves pounced on their next meal.

—

"Man, my ass hurts from staying inside that RV too long!" groaned Exodus.

"Stop complaining," replied Wraith, "At least we're here now."

Minny looked around as Lettuce gave Dante another treat. She stared at the demon wolf gnawing on a bone before announcing their next plan.

"That should finish off all of Draiocht Gang #17," Minny said, "We shouldn't be expecting anymore dangers from them now."

"What are we going to do next?" asked Persona curiously.

"I'll be informing you of your next mission, Bangtan Gang #32," said a stranger as he exited the men's restroom, staring at Minny,

"After I talk with your new Capo."