Twilight of the Gods

Koran raised his hand to his chest. The Idda Corrof glowed beneath his skin. Dante watched the blood vessels pump around it. "As long as I have this," Koran said, "you can't kill me."

Dante tightened his grip on Sparda. "I'm a god. I can do anything."

"Not now you can't."

Dante and Koran stared at each other as if daring the other to make the first move. Dante's fingers itched as miniature bolts of lightning sparked across his hand. The two took a deep breath simultaneously before Koran threw himself at Dante. Dante remained perfectly still until Koran was nearly on top of him. Koran's hand shot out to sever Dante's spine from his skull in a single sharp strike to his neck. At the last moment, Dante leaned out of the way. Koran felt a knife slice into his neck. Blue blood leaked over Dante's glove. Dante quickly released the knife and delivered a swift roundhouse kick into Koran's chest. The Idda Corrof cracked slightly within Koran's chest as he flew backwards from the blow.

Koran held his arms out. He stopped in midair as if he had been caught in an invisible net. Dante opted not to give him a chance to recover nor respond. By the time Koran had stopped himself, Dante fell upon him from above and planted his foot firmly against Koran's face. Koran dropped onto a small stone island. The impact made him bite his tongue and caused his teeth to chatter. His toes dangled into the lava. He didn't notice until he smelled his own flesh cooking.

Dante rebounded and landed on the edge of a stone building. He watched as Koran stood and touched his chest as the Idda Corrof glowed. "The true test of godhood," Koran said, "is the ability, and willingness, to alter the very reality you live in. Your time has ended."

Dante watched in defiant silence as Koran leaned over slightly. Thick black drool oozed from his lips. Each drop that hit the rock jumped into the lava as if it were alive. Koran dropped to his knees as three large heads poked out of the lava. Three wolves, one black, one white, and one red, emerged from the burning river. They were several stories high with mangy slushy fur. Liquid skin dripped from their bodies. The nearest one, the white one, glared at Dante over the side of the building.

As if by reflex, Dante threw himself onto the white wolf's back. He stabbed the sword into the wolf's flesh to anchor himself as he reached for Ivory. He pointed the gun at Koran and shot three times. Koran reached out and effortlessly plucked each bullet from the air. The white wolf bucked by the time Dante got off the last shot. Dante leapt for the black wolf to avoid an unpleasant swim on the street. In mid leap, he pulled off a few more shots. Koran knocked them all aside.

Dante's boots partially sank into the skin as he landed on the black wolf. The red wolf roared and snapped at him, but it got a mouthful of air. By the time it retreated, Dante was already headed for the white wolf. He deliberately fell short of the white wolf's back and began sliding down its shoulder. He seized Sparda right before he lost his footing. As he continued his descent through the fur, the sword slashed across the wolf's neck. A geyser of cold transparent blood gushed into the air. The blade pulled free when he reached the clavicle and began sliding down the wolf's leg. He plunged Sparda into the wolf's kneecap and shattered the bone. The wolf shrieked as it fell into the lava and rolled onto its side. Its flesh began to boil and smolder.

Lava splattered as Dante pulled Sparda free. He quickly scrambled to the wolf's head, which was still partially visible. With the white wolf no longer in the way, the red wolf lunged for him.

(X)

Lilith slowly spun in a tight circle as five satyr-like creatures emerged from the shadowy dust. They crouched for a moment on the floor around her. The one directly behind her spread a pair of wings; she noticed when loose feathers fluttered past her head. She pivoted on her right heel. The Yamato slashed upwards from the chest and through the beast's chin.

Before Lilith could deliver a fatal blow, she jumped straight up to avoid a second monster that charged at her back. She landed on its head and braced her feet against the inside curves of its horns. From above, she swiped at the first beast. Blood spurted at her feet as the top of its cranium flew to the edge of the cage.

With a twist of her foot, Lilith forced the demon she rode to turn towards the others. With a second twist, the horn snapped in half. When the demon threw her aside with a flick of its head, she used the momentum to jump to the fence. One great leap at a time, she made her way to the Phantom at the top. One demon chasing her in flight seized her by the waist to pull her down. Before releasing the fence, Lilith threw the Yamato. The demon dragged her down in free fall. She watched, as if in slow motion, as the Yamato twirled towards the black crystal Phantom.

The goat demon flipped himself over so Lilith was on the bottom. She reached for Tiamat and Marduk and pointed them behind her head. The bullet spray blew off half of its face. It released her to grab its head. Its wings stretched out to slow its own descent. The demon flew blindly into the fence and clutched the chains to regain its bearings. Lilith landed in the circle the remaining three created. All three of them took flight as bullets sparked in their directions. Lilith felt her insides twist with anxiety as they literally disappeared into the air.

A familiar whizzing in the air reminded her of the Yamato. In anger, she threw the guns to the floor and raised her hand to catch the sword on its return flight. Before it reached her, an invisible hand punched into her back. She flew face first into an obsidian pillar. As soon as she was on the rebound, the force hit her again. It continuously smashed her against the pillar for several seconds. When it finally stopped, she dropped to the floor in a bloody mess.

She remained still to give herself time to survey her surroundings. The demons were still invisible except for the one that was hanging on to the fence. The Phantom was still balanced on top of the cage as if waiting for something. A small wound on its underbelly was oozing what might have been blood. Lilith rolled to her side. The Yamato blade was embedded into the stone floor. Bracing herself against the pain, she pushed herself to her feet and vaulted for the sword.

When the sword was just out of reach, an invisible hand grabbed her ankle and swung her into the air. She landed on her back against the floor. The force created a sinkhole where she fell. She coughed blood into the air. The demon on the fence glowered at her with its one usable eye. She watched stoically as it lunged for her.

(X)

Dante waited for the red wolf to snap at him. No longer worried about the white wolf's well-being, the red wolf bit into the side of its face. It tore the flesh away and gulped it down with the intention of taking Dante down with it. When the red wolf pulled its head back, it saw Dante descend upon it in a flaming fury. It backed up to avoid the intended decapitation. Instead, Dante swiped the muzzle. The front half of the wolf's mouth fell away.

Dante grabbed a handful of fur and quickly pulled himself up as the wolf fell to its knees. He made it to the shoulder blades as it quickly pushed itself up again. Dante raised Sparda to make another strike. The sword was engulfed in a dark red flame that seemed to extend from Dante's wrist. He raised his heel to prepare for the lunge, but he instantly stopped when he saw the black wolf in his peripheral vision jump towards him. Dante morphed into his demon form and flipped into the air. The metallic tip of his wing severed the black wolf's ear as he flew to a safe distance.

To his surprise, the black wolf ignored him long enough to clamp its jaws on the red wolf's neck. The black wolf ripped the red wolf's neck out with a quick twist of its head. Then black wolf turned its attention to Dante before the red one hit the ground. The last wolf standing pawed into the lava as if awaiting a command to proceed. Koran waited on his rock island in deep thought as if he never noticed the wolves. He then raised his eyes to the beginning of the sunset.