Resurrection

Lilith braced her feet against the edge of the sinkhole as the demon launched itself towards her. With a single powerful kick, she pushed herself across the floor. As soon as the demon crashed into the hole, she planted her foot into its skull and jumped behind it. She partially slid across the floor as she snatched the Yamato from the floor. She instinctively swung in the same motion. A thick stream of blood appeared from the air behind her swing and splashed against her.

She felt the invisible force again. This time it grabbed her by her collar and hoisted her several feet into the air. When she felt it release her, she raised her free hand. Bolts of lightning flashed from her fingers into the floor. The spider web of lightning revealed where the three invisible demons were as the bolts rippled across their bodies like static. She twisted in midair to swing at the demon behind her. The Yamato blade sliced through a torso.

Before she began the trip back to the floor, the crystal Phantom above screeched. White silk threads shot down from its four raised legs. They wrapped themselves around her wrists and ankles, then spun her around as the silk covered her completely. The Phantom turned her upside down and pulled her towards its torso. Lilith stifled a scream as the silk constricted around her. The Yamato tore into her skin from the increasing pressure. Lilith continued her struggling until she felt the Phantom's scorpion stinger impale her just below her ribcage.

With a high pitched scream, Lilith transformed within the cocoon. Bolts of lightining flashed along the silk string and into the Phantom's abdomen. Part of its crystalline structure shattered. Writhing in pain, it finally lost its balance and teetered too far over the edge of the cage. Lilith's wings broke through the cocoon in time for her to avoid being taken over the side. The Phantom's stinger pulled free, and she hovered upside down momentarily as the silk fell away. Lightning flashed from her body towards the three demons that had just become visible from the previous electrical strike. All three of them were flying towards her.

With a quick thought, blinding light flashed in front of her. Everything became a blue and white negative. From the demons' view, she had disappeared in a blur. They stopped in midair for a second in utter confusion. One of them fell over when three quick slashes instantaneously appeared across its torso and neck. Before it even began dying, a second demon felt its head fall backwards from its body. The third one was kicked against the cage.

Lilith stopped and hovered again. The Yamato had a dull glow that gradually brightened. Lilith watched in surprise as the Phantom outside the cage lifted its head. Two black tentacles sprung from the back of its throat. They slashed through the chains and seized the third demon. It kicked and squealed like a pig as the tentacles pulled it into the Phantom's mouth.

As the spider scorpion commenced chewing, Lilith flew over the top of the cage. Before she fell upon the Phantom, it pushed itself backwards. Lilith hit the floor and jumped for it. The mouth tentacles lashed out again. One wrapped around her hand holding the Yamato. The other circled her waist and worked its way to her neck. Lilith covered the second tentacle with a thick layer of frost with her free hand. With a quick twist of her body, the tentacle shattered. She tossed the Yamato into the air and caught it with the free hand. She severed the other tentacle with a quick swipe. She landed with one foot on the Phantom's back and the other on its head. She turned her sword down and plunged the blade behind the Phantom's head.

(X)

The moment Koran stood, Dante felt the fading sunlight burn into his back. In the following split second, the black wolf jumped for him. With the sword ready, Dante launched himself onto the wolf's snout when it dove for the rock he stood on. His arm swung forward towards the wolf's eye. The blade of Sparda lunged into the membrane. The wolf skidded to a stop and pawed at its eye. Its howl of pain sent a vibration through the air.

Dante grabbed a handful of fur as he landed between the wolf's ears. Most of it was ripped from what passed for skin. The wolf shook itself. Dante jumped back over the wolf's head. It jerked its head back as it was momentarily blinded by the black light of his transformation. He snatched Sparda free with a backwards swing. The momentum shattered the side of the wolf's skull. It staggered to the side a few steps.

It struggled to regain its footing while simultaneously looking for Dante. It caught a glimpse of him before he disappeared. The wolf's ears were filled with whistling as it felt something slice across its neck. Before the blood began to fall, another slash appeared on the other side of its neck. Dante reappeared under the wolf's head and plunged Sparda upwards through the chin. The blade elongated until it emerged between the ears. The wolf howled as it sank into the lava. Blood burst from its nose and the wounds in its eye and head. Its head slid off the blade as it fell over.

Koran stood as a wave of lava rolled towards him. He levitated just as it swept over the rock. Dante turned around in time to see a sphere of light come to life in each hand.

"See this?" Koran teased as he held a hand up. The balls of light began to twinkle. "This is reality I hold in my hand to altar and wield as I please."

"Not if I rip the Idda Corrof from your chest."

"You can't. I am the Idda Corrof." Koran threw his hand up. A thundering wave of air rippled towards Dante. Before he could get completely out of the way, the edge of the wave shattered a metallic tip of his right wing. Dante jerked back with a sudden jolt of pain, but regained his senses as Koran held his other hand up for another shockwave. He threw Sparda at Koran and flew down after it. As if in slow motion, Koran caught the sword in midflight. He flipped it around once in his hand just as Dante fell down upon him. Koran leaned over to dodge. Dante seized his wrist and threw him into the air. The sword broke free in the process. Dante caught it before flying after Koran.

With a wave of Koran's hand, a twirling pillar of lava raised itself from the street. Dante backed away with a single flap of his wings to avoid the inevitable attack of liquid rock. On Koran's command, the lava followed Dante as he zigzagged through the burning air. It spiraled towards him until it was a considerable distance from the ground. Koran dropped his arm and halfheartedly watch the lava fall to the ground. Dante had disappeared again.

Koran listened carefully before turning and holding up his arm to fend off a blow. Dante materialized right before Sparda clashed against Koran's arm. Then Koran winced and staggered backwards as Dante's free hand slammed into Koran's chest. The force knocked Koran off the little rock island. Tiny crystal shards broke free as the Idda Corrof cracked in his chest.

(X)

Lilith shoved the Yamato as far into the Phantom's "neck" as she could and twisted it. Boiling black blood spurted over her boots. The Phantom lifted its stinger. She ripped the sword free and leapt upwards to avoid the stinger strike. She landed on the tip and swiped it off. Like a slingshot, the tail catapulted her into the air.

Lilith held the sword over her head. Flames rolled over her body and the Yamato. The Phantom turned in an awkward semicircle to face her. Lilith spread her wings as spheres of flame shot to the ground. The Phantom charged as if attempting to knock her from the air. In a show of power that surprised both of them, Lilith pointed the Yamato towards the burning star in the empty sky. A flare erupted from the star's surface and reached for the sword. It engulfed both the Yamato and Lilith in a hot red and white blaze. Lilith clamped her teeth together as she was covered in fire and star plasma.

The Phantom backed away as if in terror. Lilith appeared to be a fiery incarnation above him in an apparent show of divine power. Each flap of her wings sent little flames into the air. With a sadistic grimace, Lilith pointed the Yamato at the Phantom and charged. The Phantom leapt back as Lilith plummeted into the ground. Obsidian crumbled under her feet.

The Phantom continued to push itself backwards as she advanced on it. Pillars of hellfire burst from the ground between them. She rushed through each one as if they were just hot air. In a desperate, but tardy, attempt to gain distance, the Phantom turned in a partial sidestep. Lilith caught it in midstride as she tossed the Yamato towards it. The flaming sword sliced through the Phantom's obsidian exoskeleton. Lilith's flaming aura brightened and enlarged as she overtook the Phantom in a blaze of star plasma. The spider-scorpion shattered as she passed through it. Before the pieces hit the ground, she materialized on the other side with the sword in hand.

Lilith stood in the empty silence as the star plasma quickly siphoned off her body. A sudden rush of cold air made her shiver as she dropped to her knees. She returned to human form before she fell over. Her eyes focused on the sky as she waited for her father to finish his part.

(X)

Dante snatched a shard of the Idda Corrof as it flew past his head. Koran threw himself into the air. A lock of Dante's hair lashed out at him. Koran slapped it aside as he attempted to float farther away. The platinum tress sliced into Koran's skin. Koran jerked his hand aside and kicked out at Dante's face. Dante turned to the side to evade. With a twist of his head, the tress pulled Koran forward. Dante slung his arm forward, and Koran took a bone dart between the eyes.

Koran quickly drew the dart from his forehead. Blood shot out in the form of flying knives. One of them flew through the tress, thus severing it from Koran's arm. With a quick flick of Koran's other hand, large spears of ice materialized around them. Dante turned to knock them aside. One of them grazed his upper arm. Koran caught it with one hand as it flew his way. Dante turned to anticipate a final attack.

Koran tossed the ice spear aside. Dante charged with Sparda ready to strike. Koran prepared for a counterstrike, but Dante disappeared again. On instinct, Koran swung his fist into the air. He hit Dante against the shoulder, but wasn't fast enough to avoid Dante's second punch to his chest. The Idda Corrof cracked again. A flying shard lodged itself into Dante's knuckle.

Koran fell backwards onto the nearest rooftop. He could feel the Idda Corrof pulling apart. Broken pieces burrowed painfully through his body. As he tried to stand, Dante descended upon him with sword in hand. Koran rolled out of the way. Another platinum tress snapped out towards Koran. Koran raised his hand, and a knife instantly materialized into his palm. He swung at the hair, which dodged. Koran continued past it and aimed his next strike for Dante's face. Dante remained perfectly still as Koran plunged the knife into his heart. At the same time, Dante's fist found its way into Koran's chest again.

For the third and final time, the Idda Corrof cracked. More shards, larger than before, flew through the air. Dante staggered back as one piece pierced his left eye. He recovered in time to see Koran writhing on the roof in pain. He still had sight in his eye, but he could feel the shard burrow into his brain, then stop. Before Koran could make another move, Dante kneeled over him. His hair wrapped around Koran's neck and squeezed. Koran sat up as if to attack him, then fell back as the blood vessels in his eyes ruptured from the sudden pressure. Koran swung at Dante again. Dante swiped Koran's hand aside as if Koran were a child. Dante then raised his hand with the Idda Corrof shard in the knuckle. With only a moment's hesitation, he plunged his fingers into Koran's forehead with the force of a bullet. Dante's fingers sunk into the brain. The tresses continued to tighten again until Dante heard Koran's neck snap.

As soon as Koran's neck was broken, the Idda Corrof in his chest completed its separation. Dante waited for Koran's body to go limp before releasing him. He pushed his hand into Koran's chest and extracted one half of the Idda Corrof. He pulled his hand back and kicked the body over the side of the building. The last of the sunlight finally disappeared into twilight.