The old man had assumed that since he was the first one to strike Neo first, while it seemed like Neo was busy playing around and wasting time, he was over the moon, and though he wasn't even aware of the sight that had surrounded him, which was some kind of secret power that Neo had cast.
After seeing Neo's blood jump into his face, and the second he licked and tasted it, the old man was certain that he had won against this Devil Blood. After all, even the feeling that he got from his sword and the blood loss that was released made that all seem true.
But what confirmed things for him, so that he could not only believe that he had done it, was the fact that he was looking at Neo standing right in front of him, slashed with a sword that was actually a Katana lodged into his flesh, and he saw how he even reacted.
And that wasn't from the screams, but also the agony and the satisfaction of the Katana cutting one's skin. It's no secret that the skin of a Devil Blood was actually more different than one of a normal human being. Yes, they did appear to be human, with all the features that an ordinary human had.
There was another fact that was known throughout the Crucifixion, and that was the skin of the Devil Blood was actually thicker, stronger than that of a normal human, meaning that conventional weapons like guns, knives, or any sort of weapons made by men would not do anything to them.
It took a special kind of material to cause one's skin to be hurt, and that kind of material only existed for the Crucifixion, which sometimes that same material could be as severe and dangerous to them also, and that material was called Translucent Steel, a type of steel that was clear as water but also happens to be one of the strongest metal, if not rarest.
So there was no way for Neo to survive that kind of attack, especially from a Translucent Steel, and the worst part, Neo had awakened his Devil Blood abilities.
When the old man removed the Katana from Neo's flesh, Neo actually screamed, and as the old man waited for him to fall down, or if it happens that the black mist is slow to kill him, he would at least kneel down.
And he did exactly that. Neo knelt down and faced down. Since he had burnt in the fire, it also meant that his school clothes were burnt to ashes, making him walk around naked, but the good part was that though his school clothes were burnt, his school trousers were still remaining, thou they now looked more like shorts.
"You really thought that a Devil Blood like you would even stand a chance against a Crucifix like me? Don't make me laugh, kid. You are not even used to your own true power. You just went berserk like this, which shows that you just awakened your true nature."
The old man said, as he looked at Neo, who was not responding.
"What you feel right now is the slow poison that we, as the Crucifix, have, a black mist called Black Clover. It's a poisonous chemical that is often found in a four leaf clover, but since we, the Crucifix, manage to create our own black clover, which we get from our own bodies that had been generated by our immune system that has merged with the virus in our bodies, creating us the only thing that can stand against you and your kind."
The old man explained, as he continued to think that the reason Neo wasn't responding was because the poison was working its way into his body.
"Your kind is an abomination, and so are you, kid. Look, I have no problem with you, but the blood that runs in your veins, because if you are the child of who I have been informed that you are, you are worse than danger itself. Your blood alone is the end of humanity, so do me a favour, kid, accept your fate like a man I know you are, and I promise to give your parents a proper burial."
The old man continued, and this time he walked on over to Neo, so that he could check up on him.
Since he got closer, he then realised that Neo wasn't breathing anymore.
"Don't tell me that you just died just like that? Pathetic."
He lifted Neo's head with his Katana blade, only for him to see something that he didn't expect, or let alone know that it was within the capabilities of a Devil Blood.
When upon raising Neo's head, the old man saw Neo's face where his facial features were supposed to be, instead there was a static disconnected screen like a broken down TV.
"What is the meaning of this?"
The old man got closer.
Then he heard a clap of hands that felt like they echoed from everywhere.
"You know, I'm quite disappointed that I don't get the chance to finish the story you were telling me."
He could tell that was Neo's voice all around, but he couldn't put it together on how is that even possible if he was there next to him, so how could it be that he is able to do whatever he was doing?
"How are you doing that, when you are kneeling right in front of me?"
The old man kept looking around.
"Look around you, and tell me what do you see."
Neo said.
As much as the old man hated to think that there was, in fact, a possibility that Neo was indeed alive, he couldn't help but wonder what could he be possibly talking about.
So he had no choice but to pay attention, and that's when he saw it all, as everything unfolded, more like revealed itself to him.
The old man realised that everything that he had thought and felt he had done, him slashing Neo with his Katana and him falling down to the floor, was all not true but an illusion that was created by Neo himself.
"How is this possible?"
The old man couldn't believe it, as he saw himself back where he was the first time, paralyzed with his hand still in mid-air performing that first slash.
"Devil domain."
Neo admitted.
"As much as you are right about a lot of things, you are stronger than me, and I just had my awakening, which means I just awakened my... What do you call it, uh... My true nature."
Neo then appeared when he opened the door that was not in front of the old man just a second ago.
"What you find yourself in right now is one of what seems to be my special powers, called Devil domain, which is a barrier that I can create, and since I'm a Devil Blood, which means I associate with blood, at least I think so, I have manipulated every single blood cell in your body and have seen everything that you have decided and plotted against me, and I have to say, your mind is pretty twisted, but at the same time, interesting."
Neo explained.
"So with my blood abilities, I had managed to manipulate the blood in your brain and made you see the reality you desired, and I played it all according to how you wanted it, but as much as it was interesting and fun, here is the down part. Since I'm new to this and can't actually control this power just yet, there's a possibility that I may have over done it and caused you to have brain damage, cause see, I've already killed you a thousand times. You just haven't realised it yet."
Neo continued to explain.
And he wasn't joking or playing with the old man's head. He did kill him a thousand times, and the thousandth time was just now, him telling the old man all this, and as he was telling him all this, the old man was reliving every single death.
From him being burnt into crisp, him being pierced by sharp shards of spikes within his body that were actually his own blood, to him being sucked dry of his blood.
And the final one.
He saw himself being pulled all of his limps, and even his facial features. The old man thought he was just experiencing it in his mind, but his eyes, teeth, and tongue were really yanked out of their places.
And all of that he saw while sitting on a chair in a dark room, and when Neo stepped outside and closed the door, which was in the old man's mind, in reality all of that was happening, and the old man just died.
Neo was just watching as everything unfolds. His smile was sinister, and he seemed like was waiting for exactly this moment, when the old man died.
Neo opened his mouth wide and tried to eat the old man.
But that didn't happen, as someone appeared behind him.
"Okay, that's enough for one day."
Neo just felt a sharp feeling in his neck, and he collapsed.
Then this person who appeared behind him came forward.