There are many limits that people indirectly impose on themselves; after all, morality exists for that. But for Dante, what he saw wasn't just a "breaking of his moral limits"; it was like taking his entire existence and crushing it.
That scene... it made him have flashes of things he never wanted to witness in his life. Certain images were so brutal that he couldn't even speak them aloud.
Axilen, Ethan's fiancée, was in a near-death state as her body continued to be hurt while he dragged her by her hair.
When Dante saw that... a switch flipped.
A big red button in his mind was starting to be pressed.
He positioned himself as the third person in the situation, he looked at that deplorable scene and simply couldn't see himself there anymore.
Dante, someone who fights tirelessly to protect those he loves, but is weak at times.
This happened more than once, several times he was strong, but weak at the same time. It was his total frustration, his physical and psychological weakness.
Seeing that scene... devastated his thoughts.
He imagined for a moment that one day, that scene could happen to Velryna, Nagasawa, Vex, or Sara.
'Get a grip,' he thought, his whole body burning with fury, his heart tight with thoughts of seeing Ethan heading towards him to open the door.
On the other side... were Nagasawa and Sara.
Ethan's heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway, accompanied by the girl's painful murmurs, leaving Dante in an almost frenzied state of anger. However, the pulsating in his chest made him reconsider.
"Stop," Dante ordered, fixing his gaze on Ethan's eyes, who ignored him and continued advancing towards the door.
Dante placed his hand on his shoulder and tried to stop him, but Ethan remained unmoved.
"He's different," Dante thought, realizing that Ethan had no intention of backing down. Again, he tried to push him, but without success.
"I said stop," Dante insisted, elevating his aura and pressing Ethan, who, previously would have been on his knees, now stood tall as if nothing was happening.
"Hahaha, the lackey wants to give me orders," Ethan scoffed, grabbing Dante's hand and squeezing it tightly, while a red glow manifested.
"Back off!" Voralith shouted, and Dante stepped back, releasing Ethan's body.
"Hahaha, afraid?" Ethan taunted with a sinister smile. "Why don't you try this?" He launched a Red Bolt towards Dante, who barely had time to react.
BOOOMMM
The thunderous boom echoed as the bolt struck Dante's body, sending him several meters backward. But before Dante collided with the pillar...
[Flame King's Armor] One of the spells he had developed during his journey in the Dungeon, refined over ten years, was activated, protecting him from any harm.
"You're showing too much arrogance," Dante said, advancing quickly, leaving the ground ablaze wherever he passed.
Ethan realized he couldn't fight while holding Axilen's body and let her go, crossing his arms to shield himself from the impending attack.
But the blow never came.
With his extraordinary speed, Dante appeared behind him and delivered a punch to his side, sending him crashing into the wall and creating a crater.
"Argh," Ethan groaned in pain, falling to the ground and spitting blood, but refusing to be defeated, he got up again.
Dante's heavy breathing echoed through the tense atmosphere as he watched Ethan rise, despite the brutal blow he had just received. Dante's body was still tired from the recent events before Talking to Lilith; he couldn't last much longer.
"You won't win," Dante stated, his voice laden with determination.
Ethan gritted his teeth, his face contorted in a mixture of hatred and frustration. He knew he was facing a tough opponent, someone who wouldn't easily be brought down.
With a swift and fluid motion, Dante launched himself at Ethan again, delivering a series of precise and devastating blows. Each impact reverberated through the hallway, Dante was determined to defeat him as quickly as possible.
Ethan struggled to defend himself but was clearly at a disadvantage. His movements were slow and uncoordinated, after all, he hadn't yet gotten used to his "new power," while Dante seemed to move with supernatural grace and agility.
Finally, after a series of powerful blows, Dante delivered a final strike, hitting Ethan with all the force he had. The impact was devastating, hurling Ethan against the wall with tremendous force.
*KABOOM*
For a moment, the corridor fell silent as Ethan remained sprawled on the ground, but something dark began to manifest from Ethan's body...
Before anything could worsen...
The sound of the door opening revealed the women witnessing the scene. Sara, with a concerned expression, hurriedly entered, closely followed by Nagasawa.
"Stop this now!" Sara shouted.
She quickly advanced towards Ethan, determined to stop him before the conflict escalated any further.
Nagasawa, with his usual calm, stood a few steps behind Sara, but his imposing presence made it clear that she was ready to intervene if necessary.
Before Ethan could react, Nagasawa acted swiftly, throwing a small glass vial in his direction. The vial shattered upon hitting the ground, releasing a soporific gas that quickly spread through the room.
Ethan, catching the scent of the gas, staggered for a moment before falling to his knees, his eyes heavy with the drowsiness induced by the poison.
Dante watched the scene with surprise, but soon understood Sara and Nagasawa's intention. With a nod of approval, he lowered his combat stance, relieved that they managed to help him but...
"Damn! Couldn't you hear all that racket?! Are you deaf?!" He shouted internally.
"Look at this mess! What took you so long!" He roared and collapsed to the ground exhausted and panting.
"I smell Demons," Sara said to Nagasawa, both looking suspiciously at Ethan, the black mist... had completely disappeared.
However, the smell wasn't just coming from Ethan but from Dante as well. They glanced at them but ignored, another priority emerged.
"We need to take her to a healer." Aldria appeared holding Axilen by the arms. "That man isn't a suspect, but Ethan is a problem," she said, and they nodded.
"Damn..." Nagasawa thought, realizing he would have to carry these men to a healer.