"I won't be held back!!!"
Akka yelled as she lunged forward in unrestrained rage against Dante's new form, Asura's Wrath, one of Kilamahi's avatar forms.
Her remaining three blades slashed through the air with terrifying speed, each strike carrying enough force to split stone apart.
Her expression was twisted by fury, refusing to acknowledge the overwhelming gap between them.
Dante calmly caught one of the remaining three blades with his bare hand. His crimson eyes never left hers. Without wasting a single movement, he shifted his stance and drove a devastating punch straight into Akka's gut.
CRACK!
The impact shattered her rib cage permanently. Akka's eyes widened as blood burst from her mouth before her body was sent flying backward. She skipped violently across the rubble, each bounce carving trenches into the ruined battlefield before finally grinding to a halt.
She roared in defiance and exploded forward once more.
Dante did not block.
He struck.
Akka was blasted backward again.
She lunged again.
Dante struck.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
No matter how fiercely she attacked, Dante remained rooted to the exact same spot. Every counter was effortless, precise, and devastating, as though he had already seen every movement before she made it.
On the tenth exchange, Akka abruptly paused.
Her breathing had grown heavy. Blood dripped from the corner of her lips as she stared at him in disbelief. Not a single scratch marked his body. His expression had never changed. Even more horrifying...
Not once had he moved his feet.
Dante simply stood there in that exact position, looking down at her with an almost emotionless gaze.
"Are you done...?" he asked calmly.
Akka's eyes widened as she saw him slowly raise two fingers.
"Earth Strike: Punish Push."
The ground trembled.
Chunks of broken earth and shattered rubble rose into the air around Dante. Massive boulders tore themselves free from the battlefield as if gravity itself had been reversed. With a flick of his fingers, every piece shot toward Akka from every direction.
She darted between them with astonishing speed, slicing each incoming boulder cleanly in half.
"You think some petty—!"
Her words died in her throat.
She reacted a moment too late after noticing the opening at Dante's side and instinctively rushed toward it.
Only to realize...
It had been a trap.
Dante's free arm was already waiting.
His index and middle fingers were pointed directly at her.
Crackling plasma energy condensed around his fingertips before erupting into a blinding beam of destructive force.
The blast struck Akka head-on.
She was hurled backward, her scream echoing across the battlefield. As she steadied herself, her eyes instinctively glanced toward one of her four arms.
Her lower left arm...
...was gone.
Completely disintegrated.
Nothing remained.
"RAGHHH!!! YOU'RE DEAD, YOU ALDERMAN BRAT!!"
Her voice shook the battlefield as she flickered toward Dante in another berserk charge. Dante met her head-on, casually blocking the assault before forcing her backward with overwhelming strength.
Akka's pupils suddenly shrank.
She watched Dante's chain blades streak back toward him at the speed of light.
The instant his hands wrapped around the returning handles—
BOOM!!
A violent catalyst explosion tore through the ground beneath them, sending shattered earth erupting into the sky.
"J-Just from him pulling them back to him?!"
Akka muttered in complete disbelief, unable to comprehend the sheer force generated by such a simple action.
Her remaining three katanas tightened in her grip as she steadied herself, refusing to surrender despite the overwhelming difference in power.
Akka lowered her stance, her remaining three swords aligning with flawless precision as killing intent radiated from her body.
"First Form: Blood Massacre!"
She exploded forward.
With a single swing, countless crimson slashes erupted from her blades, carving through everything in their path. The cutting winds multiplied, spreading outward into a relentless storm of slicing force that shredded the battlefield. The earth split apart, shattered rocks were reduced to dust, and the air itself seemed to scream beneath the barrage as every slash converged toward Dante.
Dante stood his ground without taking a single step.
"What idiot calls out her move out loud... though I can't really say much after I did the same just now."
He muttered to himself with a faint sigh.
Gripping his Chain Blades, Dante slammed both weapons together before pulling them outward. The chains shifted and locked into place with a series of metallic clicks, extending into a single polearm. At both ends, the blades unfolded and tilted outward, revealing two enormous crescent scythes.
"Dante... don't tell me you..."
"That's right, Kila," Dante replied calmly. "It's a custom-made version of my Vermillion. Twin Scythe."
He spun the newly formed Twin Scythe with effortless precision. The rotating weapon became a whirlwind of steel, intercepting every incoming crimson slash. Sparks exploded as blade met blade, while the violent cutting winds were shredded apart before they could even reach him.
One after another, Akka's Blood Massacre was completely neutralized. By the time the final crimson slash vanished, Dante remained standing exactly where he had been, his Twin Scythe still spinning smoothly in his grasp.
"Let's end this quickly before she does any more damage. Kilamahi, please guide me!"
"You bet your ass I'm helping you, kid. Let's do this!!!"
Dante relaxed his body and allowed Kilamahi to take control.
"Kyahhh...! So good to be in control."
Akka immediately noticed the change. Dante's tone had shifted into a woman's voice, and the calm composure from before had vanished, replaced by an overwhelming aura of madness.
"W-Who... who are you?!" Akka demanded, her grip tightening around her remaining swords.
"Who am I...? How cute."
In a flash, Dante vanished.
Akka's eyes darted left and right, desperately searching for him. There was nothing.
Then instinct screamed.
She twisted her body away at the last possible moment.
BOOM!!
A devastating strike crashed into the ground where she had been standing, creating a gigantic spiderweb crater that split the battlefield apart.
"I ASK AGAIN, WHO ARE YOU!!!"
"KYAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!"
The hysterical laughter echoed across the battlefield, sending chills down Akka's spine.
The laughter suddenly stopped.
"Miss your laugh...?"
Akka slowly turned toward the voice behind her.
Her pupils shrank.
"K... Kilamahi...?!"
Before she could react—
BAM!!
Kilamahi drove a knee directly into Akka's mouth, shattering teeth and launching her through the air. Before Akka could regain control of her flight, Kilamahi appeared above her, grabbed hold of her, and swung her around like a ragdoll.
The moment they crashed back to the ground—
BOOM!!
Kilamahi mounted her without hesitation.
One punch.
Another.
Another.
Each blow carried the full strength of Dante's body, relentlessly pulverizing Akka's face. Bone cracked beneath every impact as blood sprayed across the shattered earth. Her cheeks caved in under the barrage while bruises spread rapidly across her battered features.
"KYAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! SO MUCH FUCKING FUN!!!"
Kilamahi's crazed laughter rang out between every strike before she suddenly stopped, her grin widening into something even more disturbing.
"But... let's even the odds."
Without the slightest warning, Kilamahi grabbed Akka's lower right arm.
RIP!!
She tore it clean from the shoulder.
"RAGGHHHH!!!"
Akka's agonizing scream echoed throughout the battlefield as blood erupted from the wound.
She flickered backward, stumbling several steps before collapsing to one knee. Her breathing became ragged as terror completely replaced the rage in her eyes.
"M-Monster... monster..."
Yet what she witnessed next was even more horrifying.
Kilamahi slowly raised the severed arm.
With a delighted smile, she squeezed it.
Fresh blood poured from the torn limb into her waiting mouth.
She drank greedily.
Again.
And again.
The excess blood streamed down Dante's chin and across his body, soaking his clothes and skin. Unable to contain her delight, Kilamahi spread her arms and allowed the blood to cascade over Dante like a crimson bath, laughing maniacally as it drenched him from head to toe.
Run.
Run!!
RUN!!!
Every instinct in Akka's body screamed the same command.
She had witnessed it all.
She was no match against a War Goddess.
I have to...
"Run?"
Akka froze.
Her muttered words had been answered.
She slowly turned her head.
Standing impossibly close was Dante, or rather, Kilamahi controlling his body. Crimson eyes stared directly into hers with unhinged delight, while a twisted grin stretched unnaturally across Dante's face.
Akka's survival instincts immediately took over.
She attacked.
CLANG!!
Their weapons collided with enough force to shatter the surrounding streets.
It was destruction against destruction.
Kilamahi wielded the Kalikriktar Chain Blade, Vermillion, now transformed into its Twin Double-Edged Polearm Scythe form. Every swing carried monstrous strength, while Akka desperately answered with the remaining swords in her hands.
The battlefield became a blur.
They crashed through ruined districts, their blades sliding against one another in showers of sparks. They spun, weaved, and exchanged countless strikes in rapid succession, each clash sending deafening metallic echoes across Járnheimr.
CLANG!
CLANK!
BOOM!!
Neither gave an inch.
Akka suddenly noticed something.
Tiny cracks.
One of her remaining blades had begun to fracture.
"No..."
Another exchange.
CLANG!!
The cracks spread across the entire sword.
One more clash.
CRAAACK!!
Her final blade shattered into countless fragments, scattering across the battlefield.
Kilamahi's laughter echoed wildly.
"WHERE ARE YOU, BUCKAROO?!!!"
"What the—"
BOOM!!
Kilamahi extended her palm.
Ten floating black orbs instantly materialized around her hand, each one radiating overwhelming destructive energy. Without hesitation, she clenched her fist.
The ten black orbs shot outward simultaneously.
One after another, they detonated across Járnheimr.
BOOM!!
BOOOOM!!!
KABOOOM!!!
Towering explosions consumed entire sections of the ruined city, tearing apart buildings, streets, and mountains of rubble. The shockwaves rippled endlessly across the battlefield as clouds of dust and fire erupted into the sky.
"RAAAGGHHH!!!!"
"KYAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
Akka attacked with everything she had left.
Kilamahi caught her fist effortlessly.
With a violent tug, she yanked Akka forward before slamming her into the ground hard enough to create another crater.
BOOM!!
Before Akka could even scream, Kilamahi grabbed another one of her arms.
RIP!!
The limb was torn clean from her body.
"RAAGGHHHH!!!"
Blood erupted into the air.
Kilamahi raised the severed arm to her lips once again, squeezing it until fresh blood poured into her mouth. She drank greedily, laughing between gulps as crimson liquid flowed down Dante's face and neck.
Akka could only stare.
She didn't know what to do anymore.
Everything she had tried...
Every technique...
Every ounce of strength...
Had been meaningless.
Standing before her was an existence she simply could not defeat.
Her thoughts drifted back to the Commandments' meeting.
She remembered Ingrid Von Balmung's warning.
She had ordered every Commandment not to engage until they had recovered their full strength.
Yet Akka had ignored that command.
Driven by her personal vendetta, she had come searching for the Dwarven Kingdom alone.
Ingrid had made one thing especially clear.
No one was to lay a hand on Dante.
He was Ingrid's prey to kill.
Akka's body trembled as she watched Kilamahi finish draining every last drop of blood from the severed arm. Once she was satisfied, she casually tossed it aside as though it were nothing more than worthless trash.
"Let's end this now. Kid, you take over."
Kilamahi released control.
Dante's expression immediately returned to normal as he regained ownership of his body.
He looked down at the Twin Scythe in his hands before snapping it apart. The connected polearm separated cleanly, returning to its original form as the twin Chain Blades, Vermillion.
"H-Hear this, Dante..." Akka muttered.
She struggled to remain standing. Her vision blurred, blood continued pouring from her wounds, and only one arm remained to grip her main katana.
"Kill me... and you'll face the consequences with Lady Ingrid..."
Dante silently looked at Akka's battered condition.
Then...
He turned around.
And walked away.
"W-Where are you going?! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!!!"
Akka screamed with every ounce of strength she had left.
Dante stopped walking.
Without turning around, he spoke in a calm, unwavering voice.
"You lost the moment you realized you were losing. Yet you clung to your arrogance, mistaking it for honor."
He paused briefly.
"I'm done with you. You speak of honor..."
"...but you have none left."
Akka's eyes widened.
Those words struck deeper than any wound he had inflicted upon her.
Her teeth clenched so hard they nearly cracked.
"If that's so..."
Her body began trembling violently as the last of her mana surged outward.
"THEN DIE WITH ME!!!!"
With one final desperate gamble, Akka revealed the last trick hidden up her sleeve.
An enormous orb of destructive energy formed above her remaining hand.
It continued expanding.
Larger.
Larger.
Until it became massive enough to erase all of Járnheimr in a single catastrophic explosion.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
Akka laughed maliciously as she poured every last ounce of her strength and life force into one final attack.
"YOU DESTROYED HALF OF THE DEMON KINGDOM, DANTE! NOW TRY TO SAVE JÁRNHEIMR WHEN IT'S GOING TO BECOME A WASTELAND SOON!!! AHAHAHAHA!!!"
The colossal orb continued expanding overhead, causing the entire battlefield to tremble. The earth cracked beneath its overwhelming pressure as violent shockwaves rippled through Járnheimr.
Dante slowly turned to face the gigantic sphere of destruction. Dust swirled around him while the ground shook beneath his feet.
"Tch... and here I thought I'd show you mercy."
He sighed.
"Nonetheless... I don't really care anymore. But what you're doing..."
He narrowed his eyes.
"...that's a dick move, you dumbbbb... bitccchhh..."
Dante rolled his Chain Blades before locking them together.
The connected weapon pointed directly toward Akka.
With his free hand, he gently rested his fingers upon the crimson Kalikriktar steel.
He slowly drew his hand along the metal.
The weapon responded.
The chains retracted with soft metallic clicks, seamlessly reshaping themselves into a single elegant blade. The once fearsome Chain Blades transformed into a beautifully forged katana, its crimson edge gleaming beneath the fading sky.
Akka's eyes widened.
"Y-You... can use a katana...?"
"Yes..."
Dante held the katana before him with both hands.
"The way of the katana carries deep philosophical and functional meaning. It represents harmony... balance..."
He slowly closed his eyes.
"...and the soul."
His calm voice echoed across the ruined battlefield.
"You, Akka... abused the blade, forgetting its true purpose."
He opened his eyes once more.
"If your master were here right now to witness this..."
"...then she failed herself."
"And you failed her."
"SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!! SHUT UPPPPP!!!!!"
Akka completely lost herself.
Her remaining mana erupted violently as madness consumed every trace of reason.
The gigantic orb reached its limit.
She raised it high above her head.
Ready to erase everything.
"Kid... it's now or never."
"I know, Kila."
Dante lowered himself into a perfect stance.
His breathing became slow.
Deep.
Steady.
The trembling battlefield gradually seemed to quiet around him.
The crimson katana in his grasp began glowing.
Red...
Slowly shifting...
Into a gentle pink radiance.
Akka stared at him.
At the way he stood.
At the unwavering serenity in his posture.
Then Dante lifted his gaze.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment...
Akka no longer saw Dante.
Standing before her...
...was her master.
The same presence.
The same calm.
The same unwavering kindness.
Before she could process the illusion—
Dante vanished.
A single flicker.
Nothing more.
He silently appeared behind Akka.
Without looking back, he gently returned the glowing katana into its sheath.
The click echoed softly.
"Gentle Strike..."
"Sakura Harmony..."
Slick.
Akka's eyes widened.
The ruined battlefield disappeared.
Cherry blossoms drifted peacefully through the air.
The cracked earth became lush green grass beneath her feet, while warm sunlight filtered through rows of blooming sakura trees.
She looked down.
Her massive demonic body...
...had disappeared.
In its place were the tiny hands of a young orc child.
"Akka...? Why are you standing there?"
Her heart stopped.
She slowly turned around.
Standing beneath the cherry blossoms was a familiar woman with a katana resting at her waist.
"M..."
Akka's lips trembled.
"Master...?"
Tears filled her eyes.
"MASTER...! MOTHER!!!!"
She burst into tears, running toward the woman before embracing her tightly.
"I'm sorry...! I'm sorry..."
"Shhh..."
Her master gently stroked Akka's hair.
"It's alright."
"My sweet little apprentice..."
"My dear child."
She chuckled softly.
"Hehe... such a crybaby... even after becoming a demon."
Akka clung tightly to her.
"I just wanted to bring justice..."
"I failed you..."
"I'm a bad seed..."
Her master smiled peacefully before lifting her gaze toward the fluttering cherry blossoms overhead.
"Akka..."
"The way of the blade exists to protect those you love."
"It was never meant for bloodshed."
"Nor vengeance."
"You lost your way."
"But that's alright now."
"I'll teach you again..."
"...in the next life."
She smiled warmly.
"That's a pinky promise."
Her master extended her little finger.
With trembling hands, Akka linked her own pinky with hers.
"O-Okay..."
"Sniff..."
Her master smiled.
"That's my little red girl."
She gently placed a hand upon Akka's head.
"Time's up."
"You should return now..."
"...and atone for your sins."
"You know what that means, don't you?"
Akka nodded through her tears.
"Yes..."
"Sniff..."
"Good girl."
"I'll be waiting here..."
"...once it's all over."
Akka hugged her master one final time.
Then...
The world faded away.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Reality returned.
Her body had become noticeably smaller.
The enormous orb she had created...
...was gone.
She looked down at her battered body.
Only one broken arm remained.
The setting sun bathed the battlefield in a gentle golden light.
Akka slowly raised her head.
Standing directly before her...
...was Dante.
One hand rested quietly upon the hilt of his sheathed katana.
Akka remained on her knees, staring silently at the man who had defeated not only her body...
...but the hatred consuming her soul.
She slowly looked around.
The once-proud city of Járnheimr had become nothing more than ruins.
Collapsed buildings.
Shattered streets.
Burning debris.
Everywhere she looked, she saw only the destruction left behind by her battle with Dante.
Her gaze eventually fell upon her own katana.
It lay broken in half beside her.
Silence followed.
"...What have I done...?"
Her voice barely escaped her lips.
"I lost my way..."
Her fingers trembled.
"I lost..."
"I lost..."
"I..."
"You finally admitted it."
Akka slowly lifted her head.
"You finally found your peace... haven't you?"
Dante's voice carried neither hatred nor mockery.
Only quiet understanding.
Akka lowered her head once more.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Hehe..."
"...Yeah."
"I accept defeat."
She closed her eyes.
"One bladesman... to another."
When she opened them again, they were no longer filled with madness.
Only acceptance.
"Kill me."
"That is the way of the katana."
Dante remained silent for several moments.
Then...
He slowly conjured a ceremonial knife.
Holding it respectfully with both hands, he offered it to her.
"For your final..."
"...and last honor."
Akka's eyes widened.
She stared at the knife in disbelief.
For the first time in centuries...
She finally understood.
Honor was never about pride.
Honor was admitting one's faults...
Accepting one's sins...
And taking responsibility for them.
With calm, steady hands, she accepted the blade.
There was no fear.
No hesitation.
Only peace.
She looked toward Dante one last time.
"Can you..."
"...perhaps..."
She could not finish the sentence.
Dante understood anyway.
"Don't worry."
"I'll be by your side..."
"...Ronin."
Ronin.
The word struck her heart.
Memories of her master's teachings returned.
A wandering swordsman.
One who had lost everything...
Yet still walked the path of redemption.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"My body..."
She smiled gently.
"I beg of you..."
"...lay me beside my master."
"In the Tianyu Dynasty."
Dante nodded.
"...It shall be done."
He paused.
"But heed this."
"I don't make promises."
"If fate brings me to the Tianyu Dynasty..."
"I'll lay you there to rest."
"Until then..."
"You will continue to atone for everything you have brought upon yourself."
"Both before..."
"...and after the sealing of the Demon Clan."
Akka smiled.
A genuine...
Peaceful smile.
"Thank you..."
"...Dante."
She slowly removed what remained of her tattered kimono.
Drawing the ceremonial knife from its sheath, she knelt properly upon the ruined earth.
The setting sun bathed the battlefield in a warm crimson glow.
Dante quietly stepped beside her.
Neither spoke for a long while.
The wind carried cherry blossom petals that existed only within her memories.
"For honor..."
Akka whispered.
"For the katana..."
Dante answered softly.
Without another word...
Akka drove the blade into herself.
She performed Seppuku without hesitation.
The instant she completed the ritual—
Slick.
Dante unsheathed his katana.
One flawless strike.
Clean.
Swift.
Painless.
Akka closed her eyes.
A peaceful smile remained upon her face as the blade touched the back of her neck.
There was no fear.
No hatred.
No regret.
Only...
Relief.
At long last...
The countless years of vengeance...
Pain...
Loneliness...
And resentment...
All drifted away like falling cherry blossoms carried by the spring wind.
Darkness embraced her.
Then...
A familiar voice.
"Akka..."
"You're finally here."
"Welcome home..."
"...my child."
Akka slowly opened her eyes.
Cherry blossoms danced gently through the air.
The warm garden.
The small brick house.
The peaceful breeze.
Nothing had changed.
She looked down.
She was no longer the fearsome demon who had terrorized kingdoms.
She had become a small child once again, dressed in the simple clothes she had worn before hatred had consumed her life.
She slowly lifted her head.
Standing before her...
With open arms...
Was her master.
The same gentle smile.
The same loving eyes.
The same warmth she had spent centuries searching for.
Akka's lips trembled.
She smiled through flowing tears.
Her little legs carried her forward.
Then she ran.
Straight into her master's embrace.
Her master held her tightly, gently stroking her hair.
"Let's go home together, Akka."
"This time..."
"I'll teach you again."
"Whether in Heaven..."
"...or in Hell."
Akka buried her face into her master's shoulder and nodded repeatedly, tears soaking her robes.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity...
She no longer felt alone.
No longer carried hatred.
No longer sought vengeance.
She had finally found her way back.
With a trembling smile and tears of peace flowing down her face, she softly whispered the words she had longed to say for centuries.
"I'm home..."
"...Master."
---
Chapter 59 — End.