Chapter 31: Demonic Rites

’How-how is this... is this possible?’

Dante’s mind scrambled to catch up as more blood poured out of his mouth.

’B-but... he’s a... he’s a demon... How was he able to withstand my eternal flames... and to say no normal demon strike can cause me this much damage, or-or...’ His eyes suddenly lit up as a horrifying possibility crossed his mind.

...

||"...You are simply too evil to be left to roam about," Dante recalled. "So I will consume your soul here and now, and on the day of the Mandate Conjunction, I shall purge the worl..."

"Ghk!"||

...

’He didn’t say anything, nor did he use any Demon Aspect technique that I could detect. Unless he deliberately concealed it...’ Dante’s breath caught, causing more blood to spill from his mouth. ’Which means... he activated it in his mind!’

...

||"Uuuuurgh!" He remembered Star groaning in pain as the inferno scorched him. What Dante hadn’t realized was that, deep within the demon’s mind, something else had been unfolding.

’DEMONIC RITES...;

SECOND MANIFESTATION; VOID.

VOID EDICTS... SIX;

HOLLOW POINT!’

However, Dante had now walked up to him and was standing right in front of Star in the midst of the inferno.

"...You are simply too evil to be left to roam about," Dante was saying. "So I will consume your soul here and now, and on the day of the Mandate Conjunction, I shall purge the worl..."

"Ghk!"

But Star’s arm had never even ruptured through his stomach violently, which was seemingly why he hadn’t even felt the pain until the Hollow Point was removed.||

...

’He had simply waited for me to walk up close so he could use whatever technique he just used—maybe its a close combat technique, and when I fell into that trap, he created a hole that allowed his arm to pass straight into my stomach. When the technique was released, his arm was already deep inside my intestines.’

"My lord, we can..." Cindela began to offer, but Dante cut her off.

"Do as I said. Just watch after the Night Raiders... This is my fight."

"Urgh!" More blood poured from his mouth. ’I knew he was powerful, but to this level? The level of being able to use a high-level technique without saying it out loud... the level of a Silentmaster. That’s some otherworldly fuckery.’

"Hihihihihi!"

Dante’s breath caught as the laughter rose higher into the air.

Vehitoshi went ahead and drove his arm deeper into Dante’s stomach. Dante’s painful groan ripped through the night as more blood bubbled from the wound and spilled onto the floor, while even more poured from his mouth.

"Haaaaaaa..." Vehitoshi drew out a weary sigh. "I imagine you’re wondering how I managed to withstand your divine flames, or whatever grand name you’ve given them."

Dante frowned as he looked down at him. "Damn right I am."

Vehitoshi looked back into his eyes. No emotion or amusement remained, only burning hatred, yet his voice was still soft, as though he were speaking to a very beautiful girl for the first time.

"You seem to have forgotten that, as much as I am, well, a demon... I’m still very much pure, thanks to your nephew."

"Of course," Dante hissed. "Kind, loving, gentle Star... Well, those are all attributes of someone pathetic. At least we can both agree on that, can’t we?"

"Universe!" Vehitoshi sighed tiredly. "I’ve grown to hate you so much that even your voice is beginning to irritate me. But I suppose we can agree on that much."

His eyes gleamed. "However, since this purity grants me a certain immunity to your Aspects, I’d rather call it power." A satisfied glint crossed his eyes. "After all, without it, how else would I have been able to use my ABSENCE Edict on you as well?"

Dante’s face went pale at once. For a moment, he could only stare, his lips parting as the realization sank in. ’He used two high-level techniques on me at once, and without saying them out loud... This can’t be happening.’

"Hollow Point gave me smooth access into your intestines. Your intestines gave me access to your veins, which, in turn, led me to your heart. Well, now you shouldn’t be able to use your abilities for a while... I call it... Absence of power."

His savored the horrified look on Dante’s face. "You should be glad. At least now you should feel light, very, very light... as empty as a void."

Dante spat out more blood. "I didn’t think it would result in this," something resembling regret crossed his face "I thought we were allies... that our fight wouldn’t result in killing wounds... We... we made a pact."

"Awn..." Vehitoshi cooed. "You don’t expect me not to kill you when you intended to do the same to me, do you? Why do you think I’ve come to hate you?" He looked up at Dante’s face and noticed the feigned confusion in his eyes.

"Don’t tell me you were foolish enough to think I wouldn’t find out. Well, Star had done most of the figuring out, but really... wanting to use the killing of Skarthrax and me to ascend to glory, to earn cool titles like your brother’s, the Demon Bane, Dragon King... That would make you what, the slayer of Vehitoshi?"

He laughed softly. "Like hell you’d ever accomplish that."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. Our pact still stan—"

"It doesn’t!" Vehitoshi roared, his demonic voice echoing through the night.

"The Skarthrax you and I created could only be released by the Grey Sisters, and those three women can’t do anything for nothing. One thing I know for certain is that they want me dead." He gave Dante a scornful look. "So you all devised a little plan. Use Skarthrax to lure me out, then have you arrive by pure coincidence. Except your precious coincidence was planned from the beginning. You would kill Skarthrax, kill Vehitoshi, and emerge as the saviour of the day."

He snorted sarcastically. "The greatest king in the history of the Crestfold lineage! The man who finally put an end to Vehitoshi...! How dreamy of you."

He shook his head in disapproval. "Can’t you realize that no matter what you do, you will still end up living in your brother’s shadow, chasing after the chance to become like him, only to fail at the end of the day?"

Those words struck something deep inside Dante, causing his eyes to redden. Not because Vehitoshi was wrong, but because he was afraid he might be right.

King Ikaris had always been the perfect son. The strong one. Their father’s favourite. No matter how hard he tried, his brother had always stood a step above him, leaving him to live in the shadow of a man who seemed born to outshine everyone around him. And now, even in death, Ikaris threatened to haunt him. What if all his efforts amounted to nothing? What if he remained nothing more than Prince Dante, forever remembered as the lesser brother?

’No... I’m not.’ His body tightened and...

"Mm." Vehitoshi’s eyes widened.

The amusement suddenly drained from his face.

He tried to pull his hand out of Dante’s stomach, but it wouldn’t budge.

"Mm!" He tried again, yet his hand still wouldn’t come out. Dante’s stomach muscles held his arm in place as though his arm was now a part of Dante’s body.

He looked up at Dante, who merely stared down at him. Then Dante smiled.

"Duck!" He warned.

Vehitoshi immediately turned towards his left, only to see something enormous hurtling towards him at terrifying speed.

"Fuck..." he muttered, the word escaping with a rare hint of dismay.

BOOM!

BOOM!

The huge Phoenix, in its true form, crashed into him. The brutal force tore Vehitoshi’s hand off, leaving it inside King Dante’s stomach.

The Phoenix had spread its huge, dangerously clawed legs and grabbed Vehitoshi before driving him into the ground at full speed. It pinned him down and continued flying forward, dragging him along as its momentum carved a rough, narrow trench through the earth.

Wood exploded from the already-destroyed houses, sending splinters and broken beams flying in every direction as the beast’s momentum carried them onward.

As they approached the few village paths and buildings still standing, the Phoenix twisted through the air with astonishing agility, swinging Vehitoshi around before flinging him forward with brutal force.

THRAAAAAM!

Vehitoshi crashed through the houses, smashing through wooden beams, timber frames, and walls in a deafening succession of impacts. The structures buckled and collapsed around him, while his body ploughed through the wreckage until the force finally died out, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Dante grabbed the arm left inside his stomach. Gathering enough courage, he pulled it out.

"Mmmrgh!" he groaned in pain as even more blood poured from the wound. King Dante, however, nearly fell.

At once, Cirella and Cindela rushed towards him and caught him by the shoulders before he could collapse.

"My lord!" Cindela cried worriedly as she helped him hold the bleeding wound. "You’re losing so much blood!"

"The wound..." Dante gasped, struggling to steady his breathing. "I think he poisoned it with one of his techniques. I won’t be able to heal until the effect wears off."

Cirella immediately drew one of her sai daggers and raised it before her. Closing her eyes, she focused her energy into the weapon. A deep yellow glow emerged from its tip, then slowly spread down the blade until the entire dagger burned with an intense heat, as though it had been pulled straight from the heart of a furnace.

"Hang on," she encouraged. "I’m going to use this and seal the wound... and it’s definitely going to hurt." She glanced from Cindela to Dante, who calmly gave her a go-ahead nod.

"Alright, at the count of three," she said, and Dante nodded.

"One..."

"AAAARGH...! Son of a... You said three!"

Cirella, however, only chuckled wickedly as she pressed the heated blade harder against the wound, sealing the bleeding flesh with its scorching heat. "You shouldn’t trust ladies, my Lord" she giggled. "Especially not me."

"Oh no!" Cindela suddenly cried.

Cirella turned, already tired of everything that had happened.

"What now, Cin...?" Her shoulders dropped as an exasperated gasp escaped her. "You’ve got to be kidding me."