"We're nearing the Advancement," Alter said as Dante turned to him, his thoughts racing for a moment. "What do you mean by that?" Dante asked. He already knew, but it was necessary to think it over. The more power Dante had gained, the stranger his body had reacted.
"I understand how you feel, but don't worry. Your soul is going through a metamorphosis. Since you're not a Demon, many things might still change." Alter said, and Dante grew curious… "What do you mean I'm not a demon? I even have horns!" Dante pointed to his own head.
"That just means you have a connection. It's the same case as Vex." Dante heard. Indeed, comparing himself to Vex was accurate; Dante was like Vex.
Dante had been a Complete Vampire since his rebirth, despite the complexity of having several other essences within him, like the essence of Voralith that gave life to a new body. Even so, Dante had always been a Vampire.
This was his Blood, this was his Legacy.
Dante Scarlet, the Strongest Vampire of the new Era, where there are no rivals at his level who have stood out as much as he has. This was Dante Scarlet, but at the same time… He was Dante Scarlet, the Demon King.
This was what was out of Balance. Dante already knew Balance existed—hell, he was a target of Balance! He died because he was accumulating too many things in his body! Even with King Arthur still inside him, he simply had no connection to sacred energy anymore. Damn! Excalibur had become a completely demonic weapon!
But the comparison to Vex wasn't too unusual. Vex was Half-Human and Half-Succubus, while Dante… was a Complete Vampire, but not a Demon, although he had those characteristics. In Vex's case, she abandoned her humanity… but what about Dante? This was the imbalance Dante constantly pondered. What would happen? How could this work?
"You're overthinking again." Dante heard from the man floating with crossed legs. "Let's just stabilize the race. Fortunately, you've always been on the negative side, so the problems will be minimal. If we were with that other body… we could be having many problems." He murmured, "Finally, let's discuss something." He said and stood up, "The Legacies are adjusting to your body.
I don't yet know what happened, but that Merlin… That man has been missing from your consciousness for some time. I know he wouldn't do anything, but… it's strange not to be able to find him in here." He commented. Dante didn't understand anything he was saying, but if he mentioned it, it meant something was happening in his body.
"Ah~ I'm such an idiot." Alter-Dante said and snapped his fingers. They quickly appeared in a black world, completely like the abyss, where there were only 3 strange spheres. "Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Arthur," he identified, but… "Merlin is not here." Dante said, and his alter ego looked at him as if to say, "Really, Genius?"
"I see…" Dante murmured, "And why is Arthur no longer present? I mean, he used to appear as a body."
Silence hung in the air until he finally said, "The legacy is ending, Dante. Arthur probably doesn't have much time left, so he entered a state of hibernation in his normal form."
The silence after the revelation about Arthur stretched on. "So," Dante finally broke the silence, his voice echoing in the void, "Arthur's legacy is running out... What does that mean for me? And for the other legacies?"
"Arthur was one of the first to manifest in you, wasn't he?" Alter-Dante commented, his eyes gleaming with a wisdom that only his inner counterpart could have. "That means his essence has integrated deeply, but it also means he's depleting. The natural process is for him to enter hibernation to conserve what remains of his power."
"And Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi?" Dante asked, looking at the spheres representing these entities.
"They're still stable; they appear to be just magics. Their essences are adapting better to your body. But you must be cautious. Every power you absorb comes at a price, and these legacies are no different," Alter-Dante responded, his expression serious.
Dante Scarlet and Alter-Dante floated in the black abyss, enveloped by darkness and the glowing spheres that represented the powerful forces within Dante. The silence following the revelation about Arthur stretched on, laden with unspoken thoughts.
"So," Dante finally broke the silence, his voice echoing in the void, "Arthur's legacy is running out... What does that mean for me? And for the other legacies?"
"Arthur was one of the first to manifest in you, wasn't he?" Alter-Dante commented, his eyes gleaming with a wisdom that only his inner counterpart could possess. "That means his essence has deeply integrated, but it also means he's depleting. The natural process is for him to enter hibernation to conserve what remains of his power."
"And Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi?" Dante asked, looking at the spheres representing these entities.
"They're still stable, for now. Their essences are adapting better to your vampiric body. But you must be cautious. Every power you absorb has a price, and these legacies are no different," Alter-Dante responded, his expression serious.
"And Merlin?" Dante pressed, his frustration growing. "What happened to him? Why did he disappear?"
"Merlin is a mystery even to me," Alter-Dante admitted. "His presence in your consciousness has always been... peculiar. If he's no longer here, he may have withdrawn temporarily or be manifesting in a way we haven't perceived yet. You need to be prepared for when he decides to reveal himself again."
Dante sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. "I just want to understand all this. These damn legacies... I should ask Voralith later... And now, with Arthur's legacy depleting, I've been feeling a bit strange for a while…"
"I am a part of you, and I'm here to help maintain balance. But you need to focus, stabilize your powers, and prepare for the challenges ahead."
"Challenges..." Dante murmured, feeling a growing unease.
Before he could respond, the black abyss around him began to fade, the spheres dissolving into darkness. The sensation of being pulled back to the physical world intensified, and soon Dante felt solid ground beneath his feet. He blinked, adjusting to the light and reality around him.
As his eyes acclimated, he found himself in a devastated scene: ruins, smoke, and the stench of sulfur filled the air. The chaos was evident, and amidst it all, a figure emerged from the shadows—a looming, sinister presence.
"Dante Scarlet, we finally meet," a guttural voice echoed, laden with malice. The figure emerged fully, a tall and muscular being covered in skin as dark as night, adorned with glowing marks that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy.
"Another one of you, huh?" Dante said, his voice steady despite the turmoil around him.
"I am Aspas," the demon declared, his smile revealing sharp teeth. "And I'm here to claim my place in this world in the name of Lucifer. You are an obstacle that needs to be removed, a relic of an era that's about to end."
"Aspas..." Dante murmured, narrowing his eyes. "So you're the new problem that's come to try and stop me? Got it... What do you want from me? Attention? Oh, you're probably just feeling needy." Dante said mockingly, noticing Vex in the distance, busy pummeling stronger demons.
"I want your destruction," Aspas replied, his voice a low growl. "Your power is a threat to my Master's plans. This world has no room for a demon king like you."
Dante felt the air tense, but it was nothing to him; his body instinctively ready for battle. "So, my Demondex will have a new member... Another demon for my collection." His eyes burned with a fierce, intense red light. "Come on, baby, Daddy's going to teach you a lesson." He beckoned with his hand. Aspas laughed, a guttural sound that reverberated through the ruins.
"Let's see if your confidence is justified, Dante Scarlet. I'll bring chaos and destruction to this world, and you'll be the first to fall."
With those words, Aspas lunged, his hands engulfed in flames as he launched himself at Dante.
Dante only laughed. Fire against him was simply one outcome... Failure. He was a master of the flame arts; his fire was the most terrifying and destructive of all. Dante raised his sword, ready to face the new enemy. "You've chosen the wrong enemy, Aspas," he said, his words laden with determination.
"I'll show you the true power of Fire." The demonic sword ignited with black flames.
Aspas struck first, his flaming hands slashing through the air with violence. Dante dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding Aspas' burning claws. In response, he delivered a swift strike with [Demon Ex-calibur], aiming for the demon's exposed torso.
The blade met resistance, releasing a shower of sparks as it clashed with Aspas' hardened skin.
"I told you, come at me, baby," Dante said again with an air of superior power.