"What the hell is going on here?" The voice echoed through the Throne Hall, laden with curiosity yet still authoritative.
The man rose from his throne, and the apocalyptic sight before him was not just disturbing; it was catastrophic. Granted, this man had seen many things—so many that the centuries he had lived since the dawn of this sector made it impossible to count—but Lucifer had never encountered anything like this.
His snow-white long hair fluttered slowly as he opened the palace window, his red eyes scanning the horizon to make sense of what was unfolding below.
Surrounding Lucifer were the other Demon Kings, his subordinates equally perplexed by the unfolding chaos. They all stood from the strategy table, horror-struck by the violent transformation overtaking the Ninth Floor of Hell. The skies had turned into a massive calamity.
Showers of Blood poured from the dark skies, staining every inch of the infernal terrain in a deep and eerie red. Alongside the torrential blood rain and the howling wind, black tornadoes of negative energy snaked across the horizon, devastating everything in their path...
"What is happening..." A demon woman with long purple hair flowing past her waist, jade-smooth skin, and blood-red horns broke the silence, her maid outfit alone pushing all Demon Kings back with her presence.
"I don't know, Astaroth," Lucifer replied, realizing that in all his millennia, he had never witnessed such a scene in Hell.
He glanced at his Demon Trees, now surrounded by dark clouds of pure negative energy, their branches piercing the skies like grotesque spears, extending webs of branches resembling spider silk.
Amidst all these grotesque changes, lightning began to strike the trees, red bolts echoing like the roars of demons from the deepest pits of Hell.
"My lord," one of the Demon Kings, Purson, looked at Lucifer, his voice trembling with fear as he questioned, "Do you truly not know what is happening?" Lucifer paused, expanding his aura across the demonic realm in an attempt to understand...
"We are without a ruler..." Lucifer murmured, sensing that Lilith was no longer in this world, but for some reason... it wasn't that he felt her absence. It was his instinct acting up. He couldn't fathom that Lilith could cause such upheaval.
His piercing gaze fixated on the main Qliphoth tree, surveying it with calculated detachment. "This is no mere disturbance," he murmured, his voice low, trying to grasp an explanation, but only one came to mind...
"Someone is tampering with the primal forces of Hell." He said, leaving the others in the room somewhat uncomfortable; they were not supposed to be the only ones who could interfere with this, right? What was happening?
Seconds after Lucifer's revelation... A tremor shook all of Hell, followed by a bestial scream that tore through the skies.
LUCIFERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
The sound was deafening. An overwhelming force that resonated in every corner of Hell, reverberating off the walls of the throne room and echoing in the hearts of all demonic beings. It was a sound so powerful that one by one, the demons began to fall to their knees, consumed by pure, uncontrollable fear.
Their bodies trembled, limbs rendered incapable of function, as if a chilling shadow had enveloped and suffocated them.
But Lucifer remained standing, his posture unchanged like an imposing statue. His piercing red eyes remained fixed on the skies, analyzing the storm of energy escalating with each passing moment.
"Who dares...?" He murmured, his hands clenching into fists, red sparks dancing around his fingers as he gathered his infernal energy. The intensity of his rage seemed almost palpable, an aura of power so dense it made the air around him vibrate.
Little did he know, he had provoked the most powerful being of all... One who only wished to live in peace with his wives, and this had stirred a rage, an anger so potent.
A primordial feeling inherent in living beings since birth—some born with an insatiable rage that will never be quenched, others with continuous outbursts that release everything they hold within...
Dante now found himself in a situation where not even his most primal anger could explain the look on his face... The feeling was simply a directed hatred with such magnitude...
The entire tree was trembling as Dante witnessed the scene before him... He was on the top floor of the Qliphoth invading the Eastern Empire, and on this top floor...
Sara, his beloved wife, hung suspended by her arms. Her limbs were pierced as if cruelly crucified. Demonic roots passed through her hands, keeping her suspended, draining her strength, mana, and divine energy in a painful and relentless process. Her body was frail, her eyes lifeless, and her skin pale as death.
"Dante..." Sara's voice was a whisper, struggling to survive amidst the sea of agony surrounding her.
How long had she been like this? How long had she been agonizing and suffering while all of this happened? How could he let this happen? Guilt was the only thing he felt. Upon seeing her condition, he snapped...
Not just because of her, for seated in front of Sara's suspended body was a demon—a demon unlike any he had faced during his ascent through countless floors.
"Lyrianna," he murmured, realizing she was no longer the motherly figure he had expected Sara's mother to be. She was corrupted by something, something powerful enough to transform her into a demon.
Dante didn't know Lyrianna, but her similarities to Sara were evident. Her disheveled blue hair fell to her waist, her eyes shifting from blue to deep purple, capturing all the nuances of her surroundings. Her body was meticulously sculpted, provocatively displayed by attire that accentuated her curves.
A robust tail gracefully coiled behind her, adding an exotic touch, and her black horns complemented her demonic appearance.
"Succubus," he murmured, feeling her charm emanating much stronger than when he encountered Vex.
"Ah, you're Dante?" Lyrianna said, her voice dripping with a strange mix of bitterness and triumph. "You've finally arrived. Too bad it took you so long."
The sight of Lyrianna, now a queen of darkness, almost like a Demon Queen. She sat cross-legged while playing with the tip of her tail. She seemed completely unhinged. Or rather, "Astaroth..." Dante murmured, realizing that this demon was once again affecting someone's mind; it was the most obvious explanation... The problem was different, was Lyrianna still inside that demon?
Calmly, the demon rose, and its robust tail arched to his side like a weapon. "It's a shame my master has already gone with what he wanted. You took too long, Demon King," Lyrianna said with a charming smile as she played with her lips.
"What have they done to you, Lyrianna... What have they done to Sara..." Dante murmured, looking at the ground as small droplets fell from his eyes, they weren't tears or sweat, they were something even more frightening...
Blood... black almost blood.
"... Silence," that was what was left as his eyes began to be filled with darkness, a whole abyss was in his eyes.
Dante had endured, tried to endure everything that was necessary, he had tried to restrain himself in every possible way because he knew what would happen, Dante was like Valentina and in moments of anger, he would break any limit and increase his powers forcing his entire body to the infinite strength.
This was the problem of strong and temperamental beings, anger and hatred gave him strength beyond expectation. Valentina was like this, she advanced to grand master in this way, and despite having been a human being, Dante carried all the strength of Valentina.
Gravity began to become negative, Dante fell into a deep pit of pain he was not only seeing his wife almost dead, but also the mother she loved so much corrupt ... This was his limit ...
"I will no longer tolerate your insubordination, Lucifer." Dante said and with the swing of hands a Veil in the world was opened, like a roar of a beast Dante screamed between the worlds.
"LUCIFERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
This scream echoed throughout the human world and invaded the Demon World and Lucifer heard that cry very well. But it was not only Lucifer who heard that deafening roar that passed through every corner.
Invading all the realms connected to Elysium, not just the Upper and Lower Hell, Paradise was also hit by his speeches, even in the divine spark between the worlds, the one that sees everything was seeing what his son was doing
"Lucifer, the Bringer of Light." The divine spark spoke, in a lengthy monologue, as if bidding farewell. "My most rebellious son, it seems you've reached the final stretch of your life. The years in Hell have taken much from you. You, a being of light, have come to this point, trying to change yourself, forsaking your light and merging with darkness...
It's so sad to think I wasted my time creating you." The divine spark spoke as some angels listened to her words. Of course, her voice remained neutral.
"F-Father?" Uriel questioned, she had never seen such... disappointment? She didn't even know how to deal with it, this last part... "I wasted my time" was just empty... like someone who was constantly tired.
"From today onwards, do not interfere in mortal affairs. Withdraw from the virtues and let that man solve the problem. Let us analyze what kind of person Dante Scarlet is." He said, and the others nodded as they began to leave the celestial hall.
"Miguel," he called. "Yes, Father," he quickly replied as he turned before leaving. "You have endured the test well. When that man ceases his madness, heal Sara." He ordered and disappeared into the universe.