Chapter 247: The climate heated up.
Aspas didn't let himself be swayed by Dante's provocations. He pressed the attack, launching a series of quick and precise strikes. Dante focused solely on defending with Excalibur, meticulously calculating the timing of his counterattack.
Dante was taking full advantage of his physical enhancements, his body so heavy and grounded that even with the demon's claws delivering numerous consecutive blows, he didn't budge from his spot.
The battle quickly intensified. Aspas attacked with an explosion of dark energy, forcing Dante to dodge, but even with the opportunity, Dante didn't attack. He merely defended and evaded. The impact made the ground shake, and the shockwave swept away the surrounding debris, revealing the extent of Aspas's destructive power.
"I will devour your essence and make your power mine," Aspas declared, his voice filled with cold arrogance. Well, at least if he had managed to cause any harm to Dante...
"You'll need more than words to defeat me. Maybe you should go back to Hell and train for another hundred thousand years," Dante replied, his voice clearly mocking, his face genuinely happy, and his body without a single scratch. He channeled demonic energy through Excalibur, the blade glowing with an intense red light.
"Excalibur, Awaken." With a shout, Dante unleashed a wave of demonic energy from the sword, slicing through the air towards Aspas. The demon raised his claws in defense, but the force of the attack was immense. The energy struck Aspas with tremendous force, throwing him back and creating a swath of destruction in the ground around them.
"Is this how you fight, Dante? Depending on weapons?" Aspas roared as he rose from the ruins, his body covered in cuts and burns that began to heal rapidly. "You're nothing but a shadow of what you could be!" he shouted.
"Then let me show you real power," Dante responded, his eyes glowing with fierce intensity.
He raised Excalibur above his head, channeling all the demonic energy he possessed. The sword pulsed with a scarlet light, the aura around Dante growing until it enveloped his entire body. "Blood Shadows!" he shouted, releasing a series of red energy blades that tore through the ground towards Aspas.
Dante advanced with a fluid motion, exploiting the opening created by his attack. With a precise strike, he cut deeply into Aspas's shoulder, forcing the demon to retreat again.
"You have no idea what you're facing. Come on, kid, hit me with everything you've got," Dante said, his voice calm but once again provoking his enemy further.
Aspas glared at him, his eyes glowing with pure hatred. "This isn't over, you bastard," he snarled, his flames boiling around his claws. "You will see the true power of Hell!"
He raised his hands, summoning a column of flames that rose around him, growing until they touched the sky. The heat was suffocating, and Dante felt the increasing pressure as Aspas's energy accumulated. But once again, it was useless. Dante was almost immune to fire at this point in his life.
He was born to fire, grew up with it, cultivated fire in his body and soul since he was just a child pampered by his demonic mother.
"So let's end this," Dante murmured to himself, preparing for the final attack. He focused all his energy, feeling the presence of his true flames, and raised Excalibur, ready to channel everything into one final devastating blow. He had grown tired of playing with this weak demon. His gaze became neutral, as if looking at nothing or no one, just a worm that should be crushed under his feet.
Aspas's flames launched towards Dante, a torrent of infernal power ready to consume everything in its path. Dante stood still in the middle of the battlefield and unleashed all the accumulated energy from Excalibur, creating a shockwave that collided with Aspas's attack. The clash of forces made the ground tremble and the air vibrate, a burst of red light illuminating the entire battlefield.
When the dust finally settled, Dante stood tall, showing no sign of fatigue or stiffness in his body, with Excalibur still glowing in his hands. Aspas, wounded and weakened, was slowly getting up, his flames gradually dimming.
"This is impossible..." Aspas murmured, his eyes wide with disbelief. He saw Dante's entire body completely fine, without any scratches, nothing... Absolutely NOTHING, not a single drop of sweat on his face, not a single graze, he was simply in the best possible condition...
"Nothing is impossible for someone who carries Hell in their body. Of all the people to boast about fire, it had to be me? I pity you, kid," Dante replied, his words loaded with mockery and indifference. This fight had been over before it began, but only Dante knew that.
"This is the end for you, Aspas. When you return to the underworld, think carefully about whom your loyalty is valuable to. Just like the previous demon, you were used as cannon fodder, sent to die." Dante paused and looked at him, "Lilith would treat you better; if you're interested, tell her I sent you." he said, and with a final effort, Dante raised Excalibur and delivered the final blow.
The blade pierced Aspas's heart, releasing a wave of energy that dissipated the demon in an explosion of black light.
Aspas let out a final scream of agony before disintegrating, his form dissolving into particles of darkness that were swept away by the wind. The battlefield fell silent, and Dante, disappointed but victorious, lowered Excalibur, feeling a momentary peace after the storm.
"You did well," Alter-Dante whispered in his mind, and Dante could sense a rare hint of approval in his counterpart's voice.
"Yes," Dante replied aloud, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "But there's still much more to come."
"And you, why are you slacking off?" Dante said, turning to see the beautiful succubus watching him in a rather seductive manner. She had decimated so many hordes of demons that her entire body was drenched in demonic energy, as were her bloodstained clothes. There were splatters of blood on her face, but her eyes were highly motivated, having watched her husband fight.
She had killed everyone and abandoned her own battles to observe him humiliating the demon.
"I'm not slacking off! I've already finished my job!" she exclaimed, pointing to a large pile of blood and mutilated corpses in all possible forms. "Can't I watch my husband anymore? Then he won't get to see this body of mine either!" she said, and for some inexplicable reason, a black cloak covered every inch of Vex's skin, as if she were teasing him.
Dante looked at her with no reaction, just a deadpan expression that clearly asked, "Seriously?" But he didn't say a word. He merely snapped his fingers, and the entire cloak burst into flames and disappeared.
"!!!" Vex was startled to feel she was almost naked. "DANTE!" she screamed in embarrassment because it wasn't just the cloak that burned away and vanished... She quickly covered her breasts, not letting him see a single bit of her body. "Bastard!" she said, trying to create clothes from negative energy but failing miserably. She quickly looked around for Dante, but he had disappeared.
"You should stop teasing me... the restrictions I had about sex and relationships diminished significantly when I spent my time with Valentina. You better be careful, little demon." Dante appeared by her ear, whispering calmly but with a hint of mischief in his voice. Vex stood still, well... she began to think of many perverted things.
"I WANT IT!" she shouted... Dante just sighed loudly. It seemed... well, he still didn't fully understand how this mischievous demoness worked. He should, but the common sense in his head continued to influence him to think that maybe, just maybe, she was a decent woman with integrity. But well...
she was Vex... from the start she had made it clear what she wanted.
"You know," Vex said, composing herself while quickly creating a set of clothes from the remaining energy around her, "I really think you should give in to temptations a bit more. It's good for the body and soul, darling." She smiled mischievously, her eyes shining with a mix of affection and provocation.
"Just imagine me riding your co~" she began to say something.
"Quiet! There are kids here!" Voralith shouted, approaching in his dragon form before reverting to a humanoid, "Eldrax is not a kid! She was going to say she wanted to ride on the pa~"
"HMM! HMM MM ! !MM!M!!!" Voralith immediately covered Eldrax's mouth, preventing her from continuing the sentence. Her eyes widened in panic, and she seemed desperate to avoid anything more explicit being said.
"Please, Vex," Dante said, trying to maintain a serious demeanor, but a slight curve in his lips betrayed his amusement. "Not everyone here is ready for your... suggestions."
Vex just laughed, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous sparkle. "Ah, you always spoil the fun, you know? But alright, I guess the kids here need a little more time to get used to things." She gave a wink to Eldrax, who was still struggling to free herself from Voralith's grip. It seemed like a hint not just to Eldrax but to Voralith as well.