Hahahaha...wow...wow...some updates take awhile eh::sweatdrop:
And it's a lil short...but never than nothing eh!
So without further ado, the aptly named next chapter.
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Chapter 17: Reasons too Long in Coming
Dante shook off his initial shock quickly. He shook his head and grinned as he landed on the ground. "Why I am not surprised...It's always the creepy ones all along. Remind me to go ahead and shoot the next crazy idiot who offers me helpful hints." He cocked his head. "So what's the real deal 'ol buddy? Gonna let me in the big plans? Hell on earth, opening realms of infinite power, possible immortality? You've got to have something going for you."
Lannister, or rather Occasus, as Dante now surmised he was, spread his arms and gave a characteristically nonchalant shrug. "Oh a variety of reasons really...It was actually amusingly complex. I thank you for all the entertainment." His eyes moved to Dante's fist. "Your staff there is one reason for this whole ordeal. I've always been one to covet such things, yet only a scion of Sparda could properly retrieve it from those damn Giza crypts. I have to say I was rather envious of you."
Dante gave him a look of sarcastic apology. "Don't feel bad, you're not alone."
Occasus sidestepped and began to circle slowly, his no longer joking eyes never leaving Dante's. "All that power...First in the hands of a traitor, then into those of a half-breed...a shame and waste. While meanwhile, other bloodlines just as pure and more loyal were mocked and shamed..." His voice had grown hard and hateful. Occasus hefted his own staff, giving it a look of loathing. "This is the Staff of Resurrection, passed on to me by my father, Crecu, youngest of The Five, and little brother to Mundus and Sparda. And if it you didn't catch it," he said giving the staff a flashy twirl, "that makes us dear, little cousins."
Dante rolled his eyes and ground. "Oh man...as if I didn't have enough family issues. Well looking at you and Mundus, and I can guess where the crazy and ugly genes went."
Occasus gave a small smirk. "You really think you're so clever...Running around and fighting for the monkeys..." Occasus stopped walking suddenly. "I've grown tired of your cleverness. So I will ask you once: Give me the staff."
Dante took a defensive position, the staff braced between his elbow and back, the head just touching the ground. "I'm kinda attached to it at this point, especially after what the damn thing has put me through." He gave Occasus a feral smile, his silver eyes smoldering. "Why don't you come get it instead?"he asked softly.
Occasus gave a grin of his own and then launched himself at Dante with lightening speed. Their staffs clashed and rang like swords as a shower of sparks cascaded. They pressed one another for a long moment until Occasus slipped by sideways and streaked a fist of demon lightening by Dante's head. Dante dodged as his hair hissed and stood outwards from the close encounter. Occasus jumped over Dante's quick return swing and then blocked a swipe of Dante's arm blades with his own Staff. Dante used the moment to interlock their staffs used the leverage to knock Occasus' staff out of his hands. Occasus threw himself backwards and recovered it from the ground with a nimble backflip.
Dante made no move to stop him or follow up with a counterattack. "You were there the whole time, even helped out a few times, annoying as you were." Dante fingered his Staff. "You could have taken this half a dozen times so far. Somehow I don't think you were feeling generous."
Occasus shrugged and straighted. "You've steered the conversation back to my other reasons for this little misadventure. I needed you to be able to fully use the Staff of Destruction, and now you can, thanks to your dragon and training time in this lovely little city. You see...I can't use your Staff anymore than you can use mine. However, through my Staff I am able to use you." Dante's eyes narrowed as Occasus hefted his Staff and continued, "The Staff of Resurrection is also sometimes called the Staff of Command. While it lacks the sheer ferocity of your Staff, it has more...subtle...applications. Resurrection is just the first of its abilities. In addition, anyone revived by this Staff, man or demon, will completely, mindlessly obedient to my wishes. Whereas before this battle I had a simple army of lowlifes, only fighting out of fear and greed, now I have troops dedicated solely to me. So after you gained your skills I drew you here for a one on one battle...Your afterlife will be a short one, I fear. I shall quickly put your revived skills to good use.
Dante snorted. "Well seems to me that you jumped the necessary step of killing me first, and my plans say that just ain't going happen!" Dante renewed his attack on Occasus, and the two battled while all around them thousands on both sides of the war fought with equal fervor; humans with passionate desperation, demons with fearless ferocity.
Occasus gave Dante a disgusted look as the half demon pushed him back with a hard blow. "Do you really underestimate me so much?..." Dante grunted as Occasus grabbed hard on Dante's throat, suddenly the air around him ringed with demonic seals as he changed his form to that of full fledged demon royal, a dark humaniod form where pupil-less bright green slits gleamed as eyes. "A mistake. You should know your place!"
Dante grit his teeth as he fell back, matched stroke for stroke. It was hard to tell if Occasus was even fighting for real yet...Dante was planning his next attack when the demon spoke unexpected, softly as if just musing aloud.
"It is a great power given to me...but a degrading power nontheless. For a demon, one who revels in destruction and death, to be given the power of resurrection...it is a smarting insult. Especially for one as noble as my father." His eyes flickered to Dante with hate as he gave a brutal punch to Dante's chest. "Do you understand? It is another reason for this game. My family's name is still shamed to this day...but I shall be the one to remedy this and return honor to–"
Dante slide underneath an attack and brought the blunt bottom point of his Staff hard against Occasus's chin, shutting him up both painfully and efficiently. "Give it a rest already! What is up with you people and your family honor issues? You could have challenged me at any time, and without your zombie army. If anything, you're the one that led us all the way here."
Occasus chuckled as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "Oh yes, that's my favorite part of this long charade. Why the long dazzling dance all the way to this point? The real and final reason?" Occasus swept in unexpectedly and clashed staffs right next to Dante's chest. He leaned forward so he spoke softly right into Dante's ear, "...is boredom."
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Next chapter is...Who knows what, Goodness knows when::sweatdrop again: