Raphaella disengaged her "Greased Lightning" technique as Dio turned around. If he didn't want to fight, there was no point in staying powered up. She turned to the others who intervened to stop her imminent brawl with the Gear. [B]"I appreciate the intervention. Dio really is a son of a bitch."[/B] she stomped her foot firmly on the ground as she uttered the word "bitch", and not a second later several pillars of electricity charged particles erupted from the ground in front of Dio. [B]"However. He's one TOUGH son of a bitch... and always itching for a fight."[/B] The pillars of energy died down as quickly as they appeared, but it was likely enough to cause the FireSeal's wielder to turn toward the group again. [B]"Isn't that right, Mister Badguy?"[/B]

With all the commotion, Raphaella's mind didn't immediately process what Edward had said. [I]... wait... dead? Then how..."[/I] The confusion was plain as day on her face. Her attention had gone from Dio to Edward in an instant. [B]"You look almost exactly like him. Yet you're not him? Did the LeStrade family have another son they kept from everyone or something?"[/B] Stabbing her massive blade into the ground again, she used it as a small wall to lean against... being a bit winded from the Greased Lightning technique she had used seconds earlier. She waited a bit for Edward... or whoever he was... to explain what was going on. Whether or not he responded, she would soon turn to each member of the ragtag group and begin speaking.

[B]"So what we know is this..."[/B] she tore the sword from the concrete and shouldered it. [B]"This Minion was clearly sent here to Illyria for a reason. And if you caught what it said, we were all 'invited to die'. Now call me what you will, but if a minion of Issun attacks, you beat it, and it invites you to die..."[/B] her expression now was even more intense and menacing than when she had been about to attack Dio. [B]"... I think that means he's interested in at least one of us, don't you think?"[/B] Of course, it was up to each person here if they would meet such a challenge or not. But even if no one else was up to it, she knew at least Dio and herself would go. [B]"So I think we should all stick together and go see why he's so interested. What do you all think?"[/B]