Dust rose into the air, making the atmosphere even heavier. Splinters of wood and broken roots were scattered everywhere, while blood seemed to rain from the ceiling, the result of a massive beam of roots transporting negative energy being destroyed.
Then, a figure emerged from the debris.
"Hahahaha!" A different voice came as it rose from the ground. It wasn't Dante laughing; a demon emerged from the mist, looking toward where Dante had fallen. This time, however, it wasn't exactly that demon... At least its appearance wasn't the same.
Its appearance seemed to have shattered; it was as if it was just in a transformation, or rather, a different bodily armor than usual.
"HAHAHAHA!" The man's laughter echoed as he stepped out of the rubble. Dante was trapped between the wood and the innards of the roots, but he quickly freed himself, devastating his surroundings with just his aura.
He stood up, and the dust fully dissipated, finally revealing it—the demon, in its true form. He had heard that voice before, a voice between masculine and feminine, but now he was sure of what he was seeing. Yes, a woman.
Tall, really tall, perhaps about 3 meters? She was slightly shorter than her previous form. Dante didn't have a ruler to measure her height, but that didn't matter. She had an athletic build, her body was truly defined, just like Nagasawa's or Valentina's, the indomitable body of a Demonic warrior.
Her face matched her body: high cheekbones, a defined jawline, and a sharp chin, combined with a pair of large, intense eyes with irises as black as the abyss of night and neon red pupils.
Dante just watched that scene. The woman's large breasts were bound by strips that resembled bandages, and her white hair fell to her waist. Additionally, she had two ebony horns curved backward.
"Damn it, hiding this beautiful woman in a man's body! Damn it!" Dante cursed, laughing, as he adored strong women.
"It's not as if I had a choice," she said, a bit breathless as she placed her hands on her waist. Her red skin provided a very unique contrast for that moment. "You would have gone easy on me; everyone goes easy because I'm a woman." She said this like a personal confession. Dante kept a poker face and looked at her deeply.
"If I had seen you like this, I would have used even more force." Dante said, maintaining his deadpan expression. He looked at her, analyzing how she was behaving. But she was a warrior, she seemed to want to continue the battle, but he couldn't waste any more time here...
"Hey, what's your real name? Avaddon seems too strange for you," Dante asked, wearing that smile on his face... that damned smile.
"Akira, just Akira." She said. Dante needed to go. Many thoughts passed through his mind, and he just smiled. "Akira, huh..." he murmured and walked towards her without using any aura or releasing any ill intent.
"How about we postpone our fight? I have to save my wife and her mother, then we can fight in Hell without worrying about destroying everything around." Dante said with a smile. Akira did the same. She was a warrior; she wanted the fight, not to invade a world. "Alright! Let's do that!
I want to fight more!" She said enthusiastically, with a cute smile on her face.
Dante nodded. "I'm going back up now... you..." He didn't know what to do. He had sent demons back to hell by killing them, but... he didn't want to kill her. In fact, he wanted to fight her a lot, noticing how Dante was feeling.
She just smiled. "I'll go down there and kill some demons and help eradicate these vines. You've already broken Lucifer's control over me, so it shouldn't be a problem." She said with a smile and prepared to jump to the lower floors.
"W-wait!" Dante shouted, "What do you mean by control?!" He questioned, and she turned to him... "Hm? We're here because Astaroth captured us. He sealed most demons within shells, like the one I was in." Akira said, but Dante... "Hey, didn't you say it was because you thought they wouldn't fight with all their might?" Dante said, and Akira stared at him, "Did you skip school, boy?
I said, 'it's not as if I had a choice.' I was already using that form. He just sealed me in it and controlled my mind. But you broke the control when we started fighting. Wow, that black flame is really strong, you know?" She said, pointing at Dante. "Now, I'm going..." She said and jumped, leaving Dante speechless...
"She called you stupid with class. I thought she'd be less refined." Dante heard Alter-Dante speaking to him. "You are Me, and I am you, so you also didn't go to school." He and Alter-Dante fell silent...
"Now... something more important. Lilith." Dante said, and Alter-Dante began. "Looks like she jumped through the portal where the roots are passing. Hell is in chaos, but for her to flee to the mortal realm..." Alter-Dante murmured, and Dante already understood what it was... It was something he hadn't expected to happen so quickly, their agreement was useless now, after all...
"She lost." Dante said.
Many thoughts raced through his mind. He had made a deal with Lilith because of Alter-Dante. After all, for the power of the Progenitor to be complete, it needed the ruler's authority. Therefore, when Lilith suggested a political marriage with the sole aim of avenging Lucifer, even if it meant selling herself, she was completely willing.
Few things were worth her life, but she had judged that her life didn't matter if it meant erasing Lucifer from this world.
"Why is everything getting so complicated..." Dante murmured. "She suffered some penalty, right? I don't see how Heaven and the Administrators would allow the ruler of the Underworld to come to the mortal world without facing some consequence." Dante questioned. But it was a really complicated situation. At this moment, much was at stake, and he didn't know the state of the World...
But one thing he was certain of: the Heavenly Father couldn't be idle and must be acting. But... why was there nothing? Not even an Angel or divine entity descended from the heavens to help. Was He turning a blind eye? Why?
Why wasn't even the Inquisition or any other divine-related association present? Why was the person acting to protect the world the damn man who was completely on the demonic side?
"Ah~ I don't know what that old man must be thinking... Why isn't he acting? I'm sure he wouldn't let his world be invaded..." Dante said to the air. He was already tired of dealing with others' problems. "His rebellious Son is causing him trouble, and not even Sara's Angel is trying to help... What nonsense." Dante said and summoned [Devil Ex-Calibur].
"Stay calm. Let's hope he does something in a few days. Aldria and the girls are dealing with another tree. There might be other trees around the world, and we're not aware since Valentina is still missing, and so is Morgana. Let's stay alert and keep advancing; we need Sara safe. We'll think about the others later." Alter-Dante, as the voice of reason, said.
He was really trying to keep Dante focused. "Right..." Dante murmured, flexing his knees, ready to advance again to the next level.
"I'm coming, dear..." Dante said. There was little time left to reach the top and finally find his wife. It was his only real goal; it was his best choice at the moment... He just needed to keep moving forward... Despite the previous battle having taken a lot out of him, he would just keep going forward. He needed to reach the summit.
But it wasn't just he who continued to think about Sara...
"I request an audience," Michael said in front of God's cosmic hall. He was already impatient, seeing the entire situation with Sara in the mortal world, and his Father seemed oblivious to what was happening.
Not a single order had been given, not a word of concern, not a single emotion had been conveyed. Even Ariel, the Archangel closest to His Father, hadn't communicated anything, said absolutely NOTHING about a DEMONIC INVASION! And Michael's sense of humility was on the verge of exploding. He felt compelled to help with this invasion, which led him to the Hall of the Cosmos.
The door, made of a material similar to gold, opened, revealing the completely majestic landscape of the entire planet among nearby galaxies. Michael entered the room with heavy steps; he didn't want to waste more time. The situation happening... shouldn't have even started, to begin with.
"Father!" Michael shouted, calling out through the entire place, but he noticed the divine spark hovering in the skies.
"Another one here to bother me..." It murmured, slowly changing its voice. "Are you also here to question my actions regarding this invasion, my son?" The masculine voice asked.
"Yes, that's right! The World is being invaded, and we are doing nothing!" Michael said, looking at the divine spark of light. "If intervention were necessary, do you think I wouldn't have allowed you to act?" the voice questioned Michael, who was left speechless.
"See for yourself." It said, and a screen appeared before him, showing five trees...
"How is this happening?" He spoke, incredulous... "You have limited your vision too much to mere Humility, my son." The voice said...
"Justice has already descended upon the realms. The three kingdoms adjacent to the Eastern and Western Empires are already being dealt with. As for the other two... I am not inclined to involve myself with the Infernal Progenitor. Unfortunately, Humility has allied with him, and it is up to him alone to protect." The voice said, and it seemed the light was looking at Michael.
"Return and observe that man," the voice ordered, expelling Michael with a gust of wind...
"That's just what I needed..." The voice returned to being feminine as usual. "Why is it so difficult to have children?"
The woman floated, looking at the planet... "Lilith is in the mortal world, heading towards the Infernal Progenitor. My pathetic son is trying to gather strength to rise again and seek revenge, and the balance is being broken..." She murmured...
"Why can't I just sleep in peace? I'm so tired..."