The body is a formidable temple, yet forever under construction; whether it thrives or crumbles depends entirely upon oneself. Our protagonist remains locked in an internal struggle with his inner demon to gain absolute control—or perhaps something more.
We return to the decisive battle and witness DANTE, standing before the throne and locking eyes with *******, releasing an immense surge of power. The atmosphere grows intensely heavy, on the verge of exploding.
*****: How on earth do you have that sudden burst of power?! Wait... don't tell me... you figured it out.
DANTE HERALDI: (enveloped in a pitch-black aura) Yes. Your power mirrors mine, but it matches my strength from before I stepped into this space. Therefore, as I develop new abilities within this realm, they don't belong to you. (in his mind) I saved my attribute points for an emergency. Since stepping into this place, I've been leveling up without assigning them. I am currently Level 3000; it seems helping slay the god TARAMIS awarded us massive experience points. I realized he cannot access my current powers—only the old ones I possessed.
*****: (sweating) Dammit! That's cheating!
DANTE HERALDI: Ha! Coming from an ancient demon.
DANTE leaps forward at breakneck speed, clashing blades. The evil Dante desperately blocks, retreating rapidly. DANTE offers him no room to breathe, closing the distance in an instant; with far greater control, he unleashes a relentless barrage of "Shadow Slashes," mirroring the technique used against him moments ago. He severely wounds the evil Dante, who fires the same attack back to force a retreat and escape. In a split second, the conflict escalates into a long-range battle, with high-powered attacks flying back and forth from both sides. Their expressions blend rage and adrenaline with a hint of joy, as if they were genuinely enjoying the clash.
And now, we turn to Quetzalcoatl's battle.
JUGER and QUETZALCOATL stare each other down, eager to begin. Out of nowhere, JUGER's mount lets out a roar and charges headlong at Quetzalcoatl. She steps back slightly, dodging the charge; with her bare hands, she lifts the mount into the air and hurls it several meters away, stunning everyone present—the beast was easily three times her size.
JUGER: (with a forced smirk) Impressive, hahaha! Your powers may be sealed, but you still possess such raw strength.
QUETZALCOATL: I am not a deity solely because of my magic. Had you sealed me in a male form, I might have struggled, but like this, it's child's play.
JUGER: (annoyed) Stop putting on an act, woman! I know you're at your limits.
QUETZALCOATL: (mockingly) You think so? Why don't you test that theory?
General JUGER's men rush at Quetzalcoatl, sparking a martial brawl in which she dominates them effortlessly, displaying her mastery over hand-to-hand combat. JUGER watches impatiently as his minions fall one by one to the goddess. Left with no choice, he prepares to step into the fray himself. Out of nowhere, enemy reinforcements come running up behind Quetzalcoatl. She turns around in desperation while JUGER smirks, but within seconds, the tables turn: the incoming reinforcements are actually fleeing, pursued by MALEKIN, REX, and ELENA—a sight that makes Quetzalcoatl burst out laughing.
QUETZALCOATL: hahaha! These are your reinforcements? It seems mine are far superior!
A vein bulges on JUGER's forehead in pure rage. A soldier approaches him, stammering that they underestimated the enemy; in a fraction of a second, JUGER severs the soldier's head, leaving a river of blood behind.
JUGER: LISTEN UP, YOU DAMNED COWARDS! IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT RETREATING, YOU'D BETTER DIE RIGHT HERE! OUR MASTER WILL PERSONALLY SLAUGHTER YOU IF HE CATCHES YOU RUNNING FROM THE ENEMY! FOR THE GLORY OF TEZCATLIPOCA!
REX: It looks like he activated a skill on his allies.
QUETZALCOATL: Sharp senses, dog. He rallied their morale and boosted their stats; they are stronger now. Prepare yourselves—fortunately, thanks to you all, there are only 15 of them left.
The battle resumes with overwhelming murderous intent from the jaguar warriors. MALEKIN, REX, and QUETZALCOATL take the front lines, while ELENA holds the rear to provide support, protected by a defensive barrier raised by MALEKIN. In an instant, chaos breaks out: REX activates his "True Form," as his giant wolf transformation exhausted him for the moment. MALEKIN rushes in with his barriers and lightning, while ELENA heals, buffs her allies, and offers support with the occasional fireball.
Meanwhile, Quetzalcoatl sweeps a spear off the ground and lunges at General JUGER, who parries with his own spear. The two lock into a high-powered spear duel, sending violent gusts of razor-sharp wind swirling in all directions. The sheer force unleashed by these two warriors creates a shockwave so intense that no one can even draw near them.
After a short while, MALEKIN and REX finish off all the remaining enemies. They stand watching Quetzalcoatl's battle, unable to intervene due to the overwhelming force surrounding the combatants. However, constrained by her weakened state, Quetzalcoatl slowly begins to lose ground. JUGER seizes the opening, striking her repeatedly with the shaft of his spear and launching her airborne toward her companions. MALEKIN catches her midair.
MALEKIN: Quetzalcoatl, what's wrong?! Why can't you beat him? You're stronger than this!
QUETZALCOATL: Yes, I know... but my powers are sealed. I'm operating on only 30% of my total strength.
REX: 30%?! Man, and here I thought we were getting strong...
ELENA: She is a deity, REX. Don't compare us to her.
Suddenly, JUGER strides toward them, a mocking smirk plastered across his face.
JUGER: Heh... so you defeated all of my subordinates. I thought I granted them enough power to kill you all, but my men were right—I drastically underestimated you. I won't make that mistake twice.
JUGER steps back and begins gathering a fire-based energy into his spear. At the tip of the weapon, a sphere of fire fused with molten rock condenses into something akin to volcanic lava, which he aims straight at our friends.
REX: MALEKIN, can your barrier save us from that?!
MALEKIN: Dammit... our powers are like playing cards! The higher the number, the stronger the card—and right now, we're holding the lowest card compared to that monstrosity!
QUETZALCOATL: (struggling to stand) I have to put a stop to this... That damned brother of mine won't get away with this!
JUGER: DIE, YOU WRETCHES! WAJAJAJAJAJA!
A colossal blast of power—so vast it resembles a mountain—is unleashed, surging directly toward our friends. Everyone prepares for the worst, but Quetzalcoatl stares unflinchingly at her fate. Flashbacks wash over her: memories of her parents and brothers turning their backs on her because of her ideals to help humanity, reminding her that she cannot die until she revives the humans she herself slew.
Suddenly, the impending power aimed at our group is deflected skyward, blasting a massive hole through the red clouds above. Standing in front of our friends is DANTE. His hair has turned silver-gray, and a half-mask covers the lower half of his face, revealing piercing yellow eyes with slitted serpent-like pupils framed in black. Everyone wonders if it is truly DANTE.
QUETZALCOATL: Hey, kid... is that really you?
DANTE turns his head toward them. Though his mouth is hidden beneath the mask, his expression suggests a smirk as he speaks: "Now it's my turn."
JUGER stands paralyzed by what just occurred. His ultimate attack was effortlessly deflected into the sky with a single sword slash; he couldn't process it. In his mind, he realized his master had never mentioned a human possessing such overwhelming power. But before he can lose himself further in thought, DANTE closes the distance at blinding speed, appearing directly in front of him. Muttering the words "Shadow Slash," he delivers a horizontal strike from left to right. An immense wave of dark power erupts, utterly erasing General JUGER from existence.
While all of this unfolds, let us rewind a few minutes in time inside DANTE's mind to see what transpired.
Within DANTE's mind, prior to his arrival on the battlefield, the two figures were relentlessly trading "Shadow Slashes" in a state of pure battle euphoria. The evil Dante speaks.
*****: (while attacking) Jajajaja! I see you are enjoying this as much as I am. After all, you were created by him!
DANTE HERALDI: (while attacking) Do not misunderstand me, demon. This exhilaration is simply because I have never experienced anything like this before. I ceased being human, and that thrills me!
*****: (while attacking) That is precisely my point! Your dull existence has come to an end; yield to me!
For a brief moment, DANTE realizes he is acting just like his evil alter ego, drifting away from his own humanity.
DANTE HERALDI: (stunned) NO! It doesn't have to be like this!
He abruptly stops unleashing long-range attacks and dashes straight toward *******, dodging every incoming blow. The move leaves the evil Dante utterly flabbergasted. As DANTE dodges, his "Survival Instinct" skill levels up from Level 1 to Level 2—a perfect boost at the ideal moment, rendering his body lighter and allowing him to evade attacks with far greater ease. Stunned, ******* freezes in place; within a fraction of a second, DANTE thrusts his blade completely through his chest, paralyzing him. A moment later, ******* snaps back to reality, accepts his defeat, and collapses onto the floor. DANTE stands to his right, gazing down at him with a heavy heart.
*****: You... beat me... (spits blood) Dammit...
DANTE HERALDI: (somber tone) This is your end. Now you belong to me completely.
*****: HAHAHAHAHA! Naive fool... This was merely the warmup! (gasping for air) I shall accept my defeat, but you still lack the final great trial. For now, I will grant you only half. If you defeat me once more, I will speak my name to you in your language and you shall claim everything. Until that day comes, grow stronger and try not to die... because you are going to love what lies ahead. And try not to fall into despair! WAHAHAHA!
Startled, DANTE tries to leap backward, but the evil DANTE grabs him firmly by the ankle as a pitch-black aura begins to consume him.
Back in the physical world, the real DANTE awakens in his room, which is drenched in blood. It appears the mental battle had taken a severe toll on his physical body. However, thanks to his newly acquired powers, his regeneration is significantly accelerated; he quickly stands up and activates his "Localization" skill to pinpoint his friends, whose energy he could no longer sense nearby. Locating them instantly, he assumes his new form and dashes off at breakneck speed—and the rest is history.
We return to the present moment, just as DANTE erases JUGER, who manages to utter his final words: "He is waiting for you..." before vanishing completely.
Our friends stare in disbelief at DANTE's new appearance. Suddenly, his powers fade, and he collapses to the ground, reverting to his normal form and losing consciousness. They decide to carry him back to the house to rest.
Our friends concluded the day with a grand welcome. How powerful will Quetzalcoatl's brother truly be? We will find out very soon.