[ With the door closed and it now just being the two of them, Riku sighs. No sense in beating around the bush with Arden being here and having asked for him to come here like this. ]

I ended up running into Vanitas when he first arrived here. I could smell him... it was so strong it almost made me puke.

[ He figures Arden probably dealt with the same. ]

That alone was enough for me to know he wasn't Sora.

[ The fact that he wears Sora's face annoys him but, that's not what this is about. As he speaks, he begins to roll up his sleeves and even come to unbutton his shirt. ]

We fought, naturally, but I wouldn't call it a victory on my end. [ A pause. ] I ended up reaching into my darkness, to the depths of it so I could power up Soul Eater. Sora was able to heal the wounds Vanitas dealt me, but he couldn't heal these.

[ To which, Riku turns around and shows his arms to Arden. On them, dark blotches that almost look like burn marks are littered across his skin. ]