Chapter 49 – Fall From Grace
"What's going on, little woman?" Khana asked urgently, keeping her eyes on the angel before them.
"Tower Shield IV!" Dante stood and grew out his shield, placing his back against Khana. "Stay behind be. Takt is here."
"Takt? That rifle guy you mentioned? Why is he here?"
"Fuck if I know."
A number of ideas ran through his head. Did he sneak in with the other adventurers? Did he ride out to the wave on a dragon? Was he already here, waiting to make a move? If it was the last one, he picked a damn good time, but that just opened up more questions. Dante didn't have time for any of them. He wasn't even sure where exactly the shot came from. Nothing stood out before he activated his skill.
Iaoth raised her sword above her head. "To me!" Her voice echoed in their minds.
The angels that were flying after Conrad's party turned about and headed toward Iaoth.
"I'd really appreciate it if you have some secret skill up your sleeve to get us out of this." Dante said, watching as the angels began to hover around Iaoth.
Khana grunted. "I was going to say that to you."
Lloyd's monsters were still engaging the angels around them, but it was mostly defensive. Dante's party didn't have him to set a strong defensive line, so counterattacking wasn't easy. It was looking worse for Khana's party. If the angels around Iaoth went after any of the groups, Dante wasn't sure how to handle it.
"Ignore the defeated hero and his party." Iaoth commanded. "Find whoever dares to interfere with mine glory and kill them!"
"Yes, mine lady!" The angels flew off in the direction of the shot, spreading out to form a wide search.
Dante continued looking over his shoulder at Iaoth.
"Do not be mistaken, Dante MacRory." Iaoth pointed her blade at the two remaining heroes. "I will not have mine victory taken by a coward. Thine death belongs to me!"
The situation went from desperate back to terrible. If Takt was busy dealing with those angels, he couldn't keep shooting at him. Hopefully they'd kill each other and it'd be one less problem to worry about later.
Another shot echoed out. This time, Dante felt no pain, not even an impact on his shield. He quickly looked to his party, but found none of them on the ground, nor their HP greatly lowered. Same for Khana and Lloyd's parties. A soft thud called his attention to the wave rift. The angel with the trumpet that had been hovering in the air had just fallen to the ground.
"Damn it!" Iaoth backed up and looked around. The angels that were fighting with the others began to move slower.
"What the hell?" Khana saw the same thing. "Now that guy is helping us?"
"Or he doesn't want crazy strong angels attacking him. Whatever the case, I'll take it!" Dante reduced his shield again and faced Iaoth. "Let's kill her and end the wave."
"I won't fall so easily, Dante MacRory! Boundless Blade!" Iaoth pointed her sword at him and extended it.
Holding his shield at an angel, Dante took some damage as he let the blade veer off and away from him and Khana. They charged forward at the now weakened angel.
"Air Strike Hammer V!" Khana slammed her hammer down, barely missing Iaoth as she dodged sideways. "Second Hammer V!" With one arm, Khana swung the hammer to the side, striking Iaoth on her large left wing. It looked like it was bent backwards.
"Titanic Charge III!" Dante rammed into her, keeping her from taking to the sky. Shock discharged, but there was still no effect on her. She was, however, still stuck on his shield's spikes thanks to Impale.
"Overwhelming Slam VII!" Swinging his shield to face Khana, the Hammer Hero brought down her weapon.
"Scorching Blade!" Iaoth intercepted the attack with a skill of her own. Flames erupted as the weapons clashed, but Khana held the upper hand. Her hammer continued down, slamming into Iaoth's stomach.
"Again!" Dante called, legs shaking from the fiery blast and the strain of taking a hit like that from Khana. She brought her hammer back for another swing.
"Displacement!" Just as the hammer was about to make contact, Iaoth vanished from Dante's shield. He ended up taking the hit, but his defense was good enough to not take too much damage.
With one broken wing, Iaoth wasn't able to fly up. Instead, she teleported about twenty feet away and started making gestures. "Lightning Blast!"
"Air Strike Shield V!" Dante let his erected shield take most of the large lightning bolt Iaoth shot out before letting his equipped shield take the rest. Between losing momentum breaking past his first line of defense, his equipped shield's resistance to electricity, and the Magic Absorption effect he'd already grafted on this shield, he took no damage.
"Quake Hammer IV!" Khana slammed her weapon onto the ground, shaking it fiercely. Dante's strength and defense let him keep his footing after wobbling a bit, but Iaoth fell to the ground.
In a sprint, Dante rushed toward the fallen angel. Once he reached her, he'd finish her. All he needed to do was keep her from standing again, and then he'd crush her. He brought back his shield and swung it at Iaoth, who was scrambling to her feet.
His shield lodged into the ground right in front of her, a heavy morning star on top of it. One of the other angels had come over to help Iaoth. Dante grabbed this angel's armor and pulled him close when another angel swooped down.
"Blinding Light!" It called out, his face shining brighter than the sun.
Dante recoiled at the display, pulling his shield from the ground and swinging it to keep any attackers at bay. When his vision returned, Iaoth wasn't there. The sounds of beating wings had gotten louder, so Dante looked up. Angels were flying above him, with two supporting Iaoth. When he looked to their parties, they were no longer in combat. Many angel corpses littered the ground. If Dante had to make a quick guess, he'd say their numbers dropped by more than half, plus all the angels that went after Takt.
"If you think I'll let you escape, you're sorely mistaken." Dante called up to them. "I can blast you out of the sky with magic."
"As if I would flee from the likes of thee, Dante MacRory! This fight is to the death!" Iaoth nodded to one of her fellows.
One of the angels supporting her removed his arm and floated in front of her. He held his arms out to his sides.
"By the power of the World Spirit, I surrender my body, mind, and soul!"
His body began to glow in a burning white light. Before Dante could figure out what they were planning, the angel was drawn to Iaoth. An aura wrapped around her. The wounds that covered her body were completely erased. The angel that was glowing was nowhere to be seen.
"Thine life is mine, Dante MacRory!"
Iaoth separated from the other angel. In a flash, she was in front of Dante. With one swift motion, she brought down her sword. The blade cut deep into Dante, blood spurting from the wound.
Dante slammed his shield into her sword, jumping back. He held the wound on his chest, trying to figure out what just happened. Iaoth held her sword in both hands, ready to strike.
"Thou will die by this blade! I swear this upon the World Spirit and mine goddess!"
Blade met shield in another clash, and Dante could really feel the strain on his muscles. He transferred more of his MP into HP, but that pool wasn't as large. He'd run out sooner rather than later.
Iaoth ducked down, Khana's hammer swinging over her head. That gave Dante the chance to push Iaoth back. He swung a fist at her head, but she was able to keep to his right and away from the blow. The aura around her started to dwindle.
She's slowing down. Whatever she just did doesn't last that long, but it also probably permanently boosts her stats in some way. I don't think they'd sacrifice themselves like that just for a pitifully short, large boost.
Khana's archer wasn't just sitting around, and Raphtalia took out her bow as well. The angels with swords worked to block in incoming arrows. Magic was redirected to the sky as well. Without their boost, those angels weren't looking to get into the thick of it. While Khana's group was the least powerful, they were still able to take down a few angels when the trumpet blower died.
If we can eliminate the remaining angels, Iaoth won't be able to boost up again.
Seeing what was happening, Iaoth turned and flew toward Dante's party.
"Air Strike Shield V!" He threw up his shield to stop her. This time, she had to brace herself against it to stop herself.
"You ain't going anywhere!" Khana slammed her hammer against Dante's summoned shield, crunching one of Iaoth's wings as she tried to dodge to the side. Iaoth was able to get a slash on Khana's arm, but the Hammer Hero was largely undeterred.
"Four Cross!" Eclair made it over and unleashed a technique at the grounded angel. With two slashes of her glowing blade, a cross burned in the air as she struck Iaoth. The angel was able to mostly block the strike with her broadsword.
"Traitorous knight, murderer of the defenseless!" While she couldn't fly with her busted wing, she was still able to use her good wings to throw herself back. "What honor is there to be had with the likes of Dante MacRory?"
"Don't be mean to Berry! Spiral Strike!" Dio spun quickly and delivered a fierce kick to Iaoth's side.
"Mom's great! Wing Tackle!" JoJo barreled into her with a heavy kick, sending Iaoth flying straight for Khana.
"You're mine! Overwhelm—"
"Column of Fire!" Before she could complete her skill, a large blast of fire fell on Khana and spread around her. Dante pushed through the flames, and Iaoth was able to correct her course before coming close.
"Ember Rain!" Another call from the angels above let loose a literal rain of fire pellets. The heroes had enough defense against the modest by wide range spell, but most of the rest took damage from the short downpour. Dante's party was fairly protected with Rifana's previously cast Resist Fire spell.
"—Mind and soul!" One of the angels had used that strange ability again. Her body turned to light and rushed down to Iaoth, who quickly accepted it. Her wing popped back into shape as her aura grew again.
Instead of charging once more, Iaoth turned around and thrust her blade up. Sadeena was on the end of it, her harpoon poised to strike Iaoth.
"Mine blade was not meant for thee, abandoner of thine family. All the same…"
Iaoth trailed off. With another look, Sadeena's body started to fade and disappear. Her weapon and clothes went with her.
"Gotcha~!" The real Sadeena was still with the rest of Dante's party. She and Rifana had been casting a spell. Reiko sneered at Iaoth, pulling down her eyelid in mockery.
"Blazing Inferno!" Rifana and Sadeena cast their spell, hurling a huge ball of roaring flames at the skyward angels. They flew out of the way, but once the glowing sphere was in the center of the group, it exploded. The flames wrapped around the fleeing angels, scorching their flesh. When the fire subsided, only two remained. The rest began falling to the ground.
"You're running out of sacrifices." Dante commented, approaching her.
"We have come knowing it may very well be our end!" Iaoth shouted. "All in the name of killing thee, Dante MacRory!"
"I'd ask why, but I get the feeling you won't tell me."
"Thou art nothing but a fake, a mere pretender hero!"
"Sure. Titanic Charge III!"
"Displacement!"
Dante rushed past where Iaoth had stood, who now hovered in the air with the two remaining angels.
"And look who thou surrounds thineself with!" Iaoth swept her arm at Dante's party as they approached him. "Thou calls them thine allies? Ridiculous!"
"Better talk fast." Dante looked up at her. His and Khana's wounds started closing from the healing provided by Rifana and Martin. Khana's party still hung back, not wanting to become a target from the still overpowered angel hero. "You won't be around much longer."
"And who will kill us?" She asked with a glare. "Perhaps the woman thou loves so dearly? The woman jealous of her lover's reward?"
Sadeena stiffened at her words.
"She abandoned her old family and replaced them. Maybe that is why thou connected with her so deeply. I know thine heart, Dante MacRory. Thou knows thine old family is gone. These replacements are all thou have left!"
Dante glanced at Sadeena, who had her head turned down.
"And that is what she wanted!" Iaoth continued. "To sever thine ties with thine old family, forget them like dust in the wind!"
Eclair scoffed. "Are you unable to fight without playing your mind games with us?"
"Seeker of lost honor, I speak the truth to thee. Tell me, doth thou truly believe holding this fake hero's leash will help thee regain thine honor? There is no honor to be had with those who travel with child killers."
Despite the front Eclair was putting up, even she was rattled by Iaoth's words.
"Who else doth thou align thineself with, Dante MacRory? A woman who's life thou saved, only to earn resentment for taking her first love. A mad child who dreams of petty revenge against those that wronged her in a life long since passed. A boy who doesn't know the first thing about being a man, who kills without hesitation. Two women who seek to take the place in thine heart from another, and a third who despises thee for stealing her sister's heart. These are the people thou calls family? They are whom thou have pledged to protect? And thou, Dante MacRory, who keeps secrets from that family. Their pasts, their unknown aspects, and thine own true goals for striving against the waves. Believing thee trusts them, yet still holding back. What are—"
"Are you done yet?" Dante called up to ranting angel. She looked down in confusion. "Say what you like, you're still going to die. It's only a matter of how painful it'll be."
"Then I shall end thee swiftly, Dante MacRory!" With a nod, the two angels quickly chanted and merged themselves with Iaoth.
The Broadsword Hero descended and made for Dante.
"Air Strike Shield V! Second Shield V! Shooting Star Shield VII!" The two erected barriers were little more than speedbumps as Iaoth cut through them, with his third barely slowing her down at all.
"Overpowering Strike!" Gripping her sword in both hands, she slammed it down onto Dante's raised shield. He could feel the earth shift beneath him as he dug in with his heels.
"Hah!" Sadeena thrust at her with her harpoon, grazing Iaoth's arm as she whirled around to attack.
"Overwhelming Slam VII!" Khana's hammer met Iaoth's blade, keeping her from counterattacking.
"Titanic Charge III!" Dante slammed into her to pull her away from his party. Once her short boost wore off, she'd be easy enough to kill.
Unexpectedly, Iaoth grabbed Dante's shield and lifted him over her, slamming him to the ground.
"Scorching Blade!"
"Tower Shield IV!"
The burning sword hacked into the enlarged shield, injuring Dante slightly. She continued to swipe at him, trying to whittle him down.
"High Quick!" JoJo came around and rushed her from the side, pulling her away from Dante.
"JoJo, stay back! I'll keep her busy!" Dante rose to his feet to run after them.
"Monster child!" Iaoth was able to dislodge herself and catch herself on the wind racing past her, flying over JoJo. She swung her sword at him, but another use of Dancing Shield kept him from being seriously injured. He was still knocked back a good distance.
Dio ran into the fray, jumping into a kick. "Spiral Strike!"
Iaoth blocked the attack with her sword, swinging it up as she jutted to the side. The filolial queen tumbled to the ground, wings over her head.
"My eye!" Dio cried out, blood painting the tips of her wings.
Iaoth swiveled around, ducking under a ball of fire that was launched at her. She made a beeline for the caster, a weasel woman who was out of position. With her broadsword aimed like a lance, she raced to Rifana.
"No more spells!" With a thrust, Rifana was impaled by Iaoth.
"Rifana!" Raphtalia yelled.
Iaoth pulled back her blade coated in blood. She swung it to her side. "This one was not an illusion. Become the suffering Dante MacRory believes he deserves….what!?"
Rifana glared up at Iaoth. She extended her paw at the unsuspecting hero. "Drifa Fire Blast!"
Caught entirely off guard, the chant-less spell collided with Iaoth and sent her into the air. Her wings were singed from the spell, but were still functioning.
"Change Shield II!"
"Change Hammer II!"
Iaoth's confusion turned to fear as she saw what was approaching her. Before she could change her flight path, a huge hand gripped her. She cried out in pain as her body was being crushed.
Dante, with his shield recalled and having enlarged himself with the Titanic Ogre Shield, squeezed the smaller angel in his grasp. He turned around and threw her to the waiting Hammer Hero. Having absorbed part of the same boss monster as Dante, Khana stood even taller than the now giant Shield Hero. With her hammer high in the air, she unleashed her skill.
"Quake Hammer IV!"
The hammer slammed into Iaoth and smashed her into the ground, a small crater centered on the hammer head. Iaoth lay there, twitching, battered, and broken.
While she wasn't dead yet, she had no more nearby angels to absorb. The ones going after Takt had already disappeared from sight. Dante shrunk down and began looking over Rifana.
"You're okay." Dante said with a smile, patting her on her head. His gaze passed over the ring on one of her fingers.
That accessory was one of the better ones they had. It allowed a spell to be stored in it to be released quickly at a later point. It could only be used once per day, but it was still highly useful. A good prize from that baroness in Melromarc.
"I…" Rifana passed her paw over her chest. She saw blood on her paw, but the wound was gone. "Mister Dante…you—"
"Mama!" Dio ran up and grabbed hold of Dante's leg. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Mama, your eye!"
Dante continued to smile softly as he looked at her with his one good eye. He had transferred both of their wounds to him with his HP Endowment. The eye cut was a pain, but it could be taken care of with a proper healing spell. Rifana's damage wouldn't have been enough to kill her, but it was too close for comfort. Dante's large HP pool could handle it better, though he too was reaching his limit for damage. He pulled more of his MP and SP to heal himself some. Stat Allocation wasn't as good as healing spells at mending his body, though.
"You're my family." Dante said simply. "Of course I'd do what I can to protect you."
"Aaah!" Iaoth's voice cried out in their heads. Dante looked back and saw Khana slamming her hammer into one of her legs.
"Stay here." Dante stalked off toward the fallen angel, his expression grim. "I still have something I need to do."
Khana struck Iaoth again, pulverizing one of her smaller wings. "How dare you talk about my parents!"
Iaoth shakily reached across the ground and tried to dig her fingers in to pull herself away, but she could move her body. With a crunch, Khana slammed her boot into Iaoth's hand, crushing her fingers and eliciting another mental scream.
"Khana." Dante's voice called out darkly as he continued to approach.
"Oh, little woman." Khana lazily looked over her shoulder at him. "I suppose you want a turn too, huh? Might as well finish her off too, since I can't get any XP out of her."
With three Vassal Heroes so close together, they'd get nothing. As the only Holy Hero present, Dante didn't have that problem. Khana stepped away from Iaoth, who struggled to gaze up at the approaching hero.
"D-Damn it…" Despite not speaking with her mouth, her words were still distorted in Dante's mind. "T-That damn g-gunslinger. If he'd finished t-thee off before—"
"Oh, so you do know Duke." Dante's voice had a growing edge to it.
"That f-fool doth not d-deserve the blessings—" Iaoth coughed blood on the ground in front of her face.
"Duke had the decency to only attack me. You went for my children and the women who want to be my wives." Dante slung his shield over his back.
"T-Thou brought these c-children to war, Hero. Their deaths w-would be on thee."
"As long as I live, I won't let my family be killed. Never again."
"A demon l-like thou masquerading as a h-hero? Disgusting. Who c-could love a d-demon like t-thee?"
Dante stopped, his feet next to Iaoth's face. "Then prepare to be killed by this demon, Angel."
Grabbing her by her hair and lifting her up, Dante rammed his fist into her face. The blood from her mouth splattered on his hand. He brought his hand back and struck her again. She fell to the ground, but without a moment to rest, Dante's foot slammed into her stomach, spinning her around. He grabbed her foot and pulled her up, only to slam her onto the ground again.
With her back to the sky, Dante grabbed hold of one of her wings. "Remember what I promised you." He stated, his voice devoid of emotion, yet still carrying heavy intent.
Iaoth cried out in his mind and from her mouth as Dante twisted the wing. It snapped in his hands, but he kept pulling and prying. With his foot on her back and a heavy thrust, he ripped the wing from her back.
Iaoth screeched in his mind before quieting. "Even if I-I do not k-kill thee, I have d-done e-enough d-damage f-f-for t-the n-n-next—aaaah!"
Dante proceeded to do the same to her other large wing, then moved on to the smaller ones. Every ounce of resistance was met with a fierce strike before continuing. Once every wing was torn from her body, Dante grabbed her head. She struggled to remove his grip, but her free hand had its arm broken in the attack. Her other still gripped the weapon bound to her, too heavy to lift now.
Dante planted his foot on her back, the bones in her creaking from the strain as he wrapped both hands around the base of her skull and pulled. His fingers dug into her neck, beginning to draw blood as the force pierced her skin. Finding purchase under her skull, Dante twisted and pulled harder, earning several snaps for his effort. An echoing cry rang out in his mind as he ripped Iaoth's head from her body.
Blood coated him as he brought down her head, it held up with one hand gripping the hair. Her face twisted in agony and horror, her eyes darting about before slowing.
"Devil…" The last word she uttered echoed in his mind before going silent. The broadsword that was firmly placed in her grip turned into a ball of light. It circled her body once before darting off into the wave rift.
Dante breathed heavily, the head of the dead angel lowering to his side. The sky above them began to change. The swirling ceased and the color changed from its ominous red to that of twilight.
He looked over at his party. Their HP had risen, curtesy of Rifana and Martin's healing. He could see the look in their eyes, the fear present. Dante approached, still carrying the head. Once he was close enough, he lifted the head again and gave it a look.
"About what she said…" Dante turned it slightly, letting the now dim white pupils stare at his face. "Eclair."
"Y-Yes, Sir MacRory?" She asked hesitantly. Her blade was still in her hand, but lowered to the ground.
"Am I wearing a collar?"
The question seemed to confuse her. "I…what?"
"In your head." He clarified, a small smirk on his face. "I'm imagining a spiked collar with a chain leash. Maybe a sock over my head as I bark in all directions?"
Silence reigned as Eclair tried to form words. Her mouth moved, but no noise came out. She stopped, holding his gaze.
Then, she laughed. It wasn't loud or boisterous, but it was a laugh. Dante could barely remember the last time she laughed.
"This isn't the time for jokes, Sir MacRory." Eclair held her free hand to her mouth, stifling the little laughter still remaining and trying to regain her seriousness.
"You're right." He nodded, looking off in the distance. "Takt might still be around. I don't know if those other angels were able to kill him without their boost."
"I heard a lot of gunshots that way." Keel pointed roughly where Dante was looking.
"Then let's go take care of him." Dante looked at his party. "Hm. There's too many to ride quickly. Sadeena and Raphtalia, come with me and the kids. Rifana, make sure everyone gets healed up. Everyone else, start collecting the bodies."
There weren't any arguments about the placement. The fight had taken a lot out of everyone. In addition to their melee capabilities, Raphtalia had her bow and Sadeena her magic. Dante looked over at Khana.
"You mind coming too? I'll heal you on the way."
Khana nodded, slinging her hammer over her shoulder. "As long as I get to kill something."
"Of course." Dante agreed. Sadeena and Raphtalia hopped on JoJo while Dante's daughter insisted on carrying him. "But remember, he did save our lives by interfering. So, we kill him as quickly and painlessly as possible."
~The Wrong Hero~
It didn't take long to find where Takt was at. The bodies of the angels sent to find him were spread out in the light forest he sniped from. That provided Dante with another piece of information about the man. Their bodies were riddled with holes, likely from an assault rifle of some sort. The bullet sizes confirmed that. Takt, of course, was nowhere to be found.
Conrad was back at full HP, and he luckily didn't have a concussion. The same was true for Lloyd. They were thankful Dante shared the power up methods with them, and so was he. Going against Iaoth by himself would have been suicide.
Once they regrouped, Sadeena led Martin and Conrad's priestess in cooperative magic. Standard healing wouldn't be enough for Dante's eye and chest wound. With their help, he had his vision restored, but another scar joined the others on his chest.
Something no one mentioned before was that the king would be holding a feast to celebrate their battle against the wave. Dante didn't particularly care for it, but it was a good idea to attend and maintain a good relationship with Faubrey and the king. His party wasn't in the mood for it, but no one took his offer to teleport back to the village.
So, all four heroes brought their parties as they used their portal skills to return to the castle, where preparations were already made. They had the chance to freshen up, and they gave Dante a nice looking shirt to wear. His was ready to fall apart from the battle. Thankfully, the king didn't show any reaction to Dante's appearance.
"I present to you, the heroes who defended my kingdom! Shower them with praise for their valiant work!"
With the king's introduction, the nobles in attendance cheered. As the four of them approached the crowd, they were greeted with bright smiles and words of gratitude. Countless nobles wanted to shake hands and exchange words.
The grand hall was filled with food and entertainment. Music was played by a large band as partygoers ate and drank. Jugglers and performers practiced their trades, captivating the crowds who watched.
At several tables near the center of the room, the hero parties sat and ate. Dante managed to break away from the crowd and grab a plate for himself before joining them.
"This food is really good." Dante said, taking a bite. "It's better than at the party in Siltvelt, and beats the crap out of the feast at Melromarc."
"I like Mama's cooking better." Dio had her chair pressed up against Dante's. Despite her claim, she still had a massive pile of food in front of her.
"It's still good." Dante looked around the table. Half his party wore downturned expressions, while the other half seemed to sense the mood. "Everyone doing okay?"
"Little Dante…" Sadeena spoke up somberly. "Should we really be here like this?"
"We just fought and won a hard battle. We deserve to celebrate!" Dante held up a goblet full of wine. "The knights and adventurers will spend the night in the villages and celebrate tomorrow. Apparently, the king celebrates for a few days after a wave, so—"
"I don't hate you!" Raphtalia blurted out, slamming her hands on the table. She'd switched to her demi-human form to move around the feast more easily.
"Ah…" Dante switched to his Humming Shield and activated it. He adjusted the area so it only covered the table they sat at. The celebration was silenced to them. "So, if anyone needs to talk about what that angel said to us—"
"I really don't!" Raphtalia repeated. "You saved our lives! I could never hate you!"
"I know that." Dante assured her. "Sadeena told me about your crush when you were a kid."
Embarrassed, Rifana twiddled her fingers. She and Keel still opted for their therianthrope forms.
"Despite her seemingly honorable attitude, she casually mixed lies with truth, or completely ignored the context." Dante continued.
"But there was truth in her words." Eclair added. "In my anger, I did kill a bound and helpless knight."
"Eclair, no." Raphtalia placed her hand atop hers. "If you didn't, I think I would have. And if I didn't, Reiko would." The fox girl nodded at her words.
Eclair held her hand and gave her a smile. She turned back to Dante. "And…I do try to influence your actions."
Dante held up his hand. "Eclair, I was prepared to kill dozens of families over what turned out to be…well, I'm still not 100 percent on it, but that would have been a lot of relatively innocent blood on my hands. Besides, it's not like you were the only one who would have tried to stop me. You were just the first to speak out, and saw where I was going."
Eclair nodded at his words, seemingly accepting what he said.
"Don't take anything she said too seriously." Dante went on. "Your thoughts are your business, and you can share them if you want. That said…if any of you have any questions for me, now's a good time."
Since what Iaoth said was in all their heads, they were easily able to hear everything over the sounds of battle. There were a couple things he expected them to ask about.
Raphtalia started. "Are…you okay?"
That was not among his expectations.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"When we were coming back from our search. You…and Khana too…"
Dante understood. After his attempt at humor to break the tension, Khana seemed to like the idea.
"So, my parents were bastards. Yours?"
"They were good. Mom died, Dad turned to booze. Tried to kill me when he learned I was selling drugs and killed a guy."
"Coulda been worse."
"Yep. You kill yours?"
"Gutted them and watched them bleed out."
"Good. Nice and slow. Nothing like you are now."
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
"By the way, did you call me a man a little while ago?"
"I think you imagined that."
"I'm pretty sure I didn't."
Dante remembered Raphtalia and Sadeena's expressions were darkened after that. Dio and JoJo weren't much better, but some petting from Dante helped fix that.
"They say humor is the best medicine." Dante drummed his fingers against the table. "Though, honestly, I probably should have seen a therapist around then. Or a priest. Or both."
"Would you…" Raphtalia fumbled over her words. "Can you…tell us how it happened?"
"You have the general idea." Dante shrugged. "Dad didn't take Mom's death well and started drinking. After I trained with Kat's uncle, Eddy and I started working together. He found out the exact people responsible for our mothers' deaths and I killed them. That caused an opening in the drug territory, and Eddy already had the know-how, so we started up. Dad hadn't been thinking straight for a while, so when he found out, he threw me to the floor when I walked in and tried to strangle me. Before I knew it, my knife was in the side of his neck."
There wasn't much reaction from the table. That was, they couldn't react. Hearing that was likely far beyond what any of them thought.
"So…grandpa was a bad man?" JoJo asked.
"No." Dante said sternly, but quickly eased back when he saw his son's face. "No. For most of his life, he was a good, honest man. Taught how to be a man, how to face the world. When I turned 16, he gave me a broken bike from his shop and we fixed it up together. He wanted to make me self-reliant, teach me responsibility, and prepare me to set out on my own one day. But…tragedy can change all of that. Just one, single event can change everything."
It wasn't as simple as that, but Dante knew that. The people he knew, the type of person he was, it all factored in. Dante was usually pretty quick to go along with whatever Eddy thought up when they were kids. That continued on in high school. When Eddy said he wanted revenge, Dante went along with it. He was fairly go-with-the-flow when it came to him. Eddy knew that, too. At one point, he even apologized to Dante for starting them down that road, knowing Dante would have followed him just about anywhere.
Dante was fine with it, though. He never had a strong idea where his life was headed, and his mother's death made it worse. Because of Eddy, he had something he was good at, even if it was wrong. He learned skills, became a master at his craft, and was well known for his work, even if it was under aliases. In a perverted sort of way, he became a man, just like his father wanted.
"Hey, Dante?" It was Fohl's turn to speak. "I…don't hate you either. You…whoever you were before doesn't matter. You saved Atla, just like you saved everyone else. That's what's important." Fohl gritted her teeth. "It should be, but…"
Fohl looked him straight in the eye.
"She said…child killer."
Dante could see a pained look on Sadeena's face. She knew how much he cared about his kids, and about the three from the village before they grew. He always took care to make sure leveled-up children weren't being sent to him from Siltvelt's leaders. For him to harm a child would be something he'd say was unthinkable to her.
"It's true." Dante admitted. "It was at the end of my life, after my rampage, if you heard anything about that." Fohl shook her head. "When I lost my family, I killed dozens of people. I barely remember any of their faces, but a few stick out. One was a man, about 19 years old. I could barely remember him before, but when I got home…his brother was waiting for me."
His was a face Dante wouldn't forget. It was the last face he saw in that life, and it was left in a state of fear and anger.
"He was a boy, no older than 14. It was self-defense no matter how you look at it, but my actions put him there in the first place."
Another tragedy, one that he created. The ammo that boy used wasn't exactly legal, but it wasn't as if people couldn't find what they liked somehow. It was entirely possible that boy's brother owned the gun that killed Dante.
"I see." Fohl sighed in relief. "I'm glad that's all it was."
"You…are?" Dante was skeptical.
"Like I said, your past doesn't matter. You're helping Atla and you're fighting against the waves. You're helping to keep more people from suffering tragedy. And…" Fohl lowered her voice. "…you're a good man, too."
Dante was shocked to hear that from Fohl. Part of him wanted claim Fohl was hitting on him, or point out that he was currently a woman, but…
"Thanks." One word was all that he needed to say.
"But I'm still not just going to hand Atla over to you!" She quickly added.
"Sister!" Atla chided, jabbing Fohl in her side.
"Oh good, I was worried we were having a real heart-to-heart there." Dante said with a laugh.
The rest of the table lightened up a bit with Fohl and Atla's comedy routine, when—
"—you stop ignoring me and…whoa." Khana had stepped next to Dante, a large mug in her hand. "It got quiet all of a sudden."
"Hey, Khana." Dante switched his shield out, allowing the festivities to make noise around them again.
"That's a neat shield there, little woman." Khana wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I think the three of us could use that later~."
"Sure." Dante sighed, but smiled all the same.
Khana's eyes brightened. "Wait, really?"
"Why not?" Dante shrugged. "Sadeena's into it."
"Oh my~." Said woman regained her usual cheery attitude.
"Just know that my attraction has flipped, so I don't know how fun it'll be."
"Hm." Khana looked over Sadeena. "Strong woman, decently tall, powerful presence…" She snapped her fingers and turned around. "Hey, Martin! Get over here! Little woman wants to sleep with you!"
"For the love of…" Dante sighed.
One look at the mage, however, told him that wouldn't be happening. Martin was currently standing on his chair, sloshing his drink around while he was talking to the rest of Khana's party.
"Wow, he's really drunk." Dante noted.
"Yeah, I love making him drink so much. It's funny." Khana downed the rest of her drink.
"Wait, are you already hammered?" Dante asked.
"Little woman, I'm always hammered." Khana pointed to the weapon on her back.
I'm continuously amazed my shield translates puns but not the word 'animal'.
Before he could stand, he found Dio wrapped her arms around his side, with JoJo joining her.
"Mama sleeps with us tonight!" Dio told Khana.
"Aw, I can't sleep with her~?" Khana asked, squatting down to get eye-level with Dio.
"No." Dio cuddled up closer to Dante.
"How about I just borrow Mama for a little bit, then she can sleep with you? There's still lots of food to eat here." Khana reasoned.
"Hmmm. Well…" Dio seriously considered her words. She looked at JoJo and they both nodded. "Okay."
Khana smiled. "Hear that, little woman? We have their approval!"
"Yes, yes, don't make a spectacle of it." Dante said as he stood up.
"Follow me, I know where the good rooms are." Khana pointed over to one of the hallways.
"Of course you do." Dante sighed.
"Enjoy yourself, Miss Dante." Atla said.
"Huh." Dante looked her over. "I'm surprised you aren't trying to join in."
Atla shook her head and dropped her smile—after delivering a quick jab to stop Fohl's interjection. "You two have been wounded. I don't want to stop you from healing."
"Oh…"
Dante had to admit, Atla caught on quick. In any other circumstance, Dante probably would have brushed Khana off. After hearing what he did about her, and seeing how Khana normally handled herself, Dante felt this was fine. Even after everything Khana went through, however bad it was, this was how she chose to be. It was rather impressive, at least to Dante.
Khana led them down the hall, checking the corridors and picking her path. They arrived at the room, the party noise still making it to them even at that distance.
"Let's have some fun~." Khana said as she opened door.
"Go on ahead, little Khana." Sadeena said, placing her arms around Dante's shoulders. "I need to talk with little Dante for a moment."
"You got it." Khana gave them a wink before closing the heavy door behind her.
Once they were alone, Sadeena pulled him away from the door. Dante looked up at Sadeena when she stopped. "What did you—"
"I'm sorry!" She pulled Dante close and squeezed him tight.
"Sadeena? What's wrong?" Dante quickly asked.
"She was right. That woman was right." Sadeena buried her head in Dante's shoulder.
"Right about what?"
"I'm jealous!" Sadeena admitted, tears starting to dampen Dante's shirt. "I'm jealous you get a wish! I'm jealous you'll get to bring back your family while I can't! I wanted you to forget about them and only focus on being here with me, with all of us!"
"Sadeena!" Dante forced open her arms and held her face in his hands as he looked up at her. "Sadeena, calm down. It's fine."
"How can it be fine!?" She yelled. "You saved my family, Raphtalia, Rifana, and Keel. You helped make us strong. You continue to protect us. You know what I've done in my life and you love me. And yet, I still want more!"
"It doesn't matter!" Dante yelled back.
"What!?" Sadeena held his look.
"It doesn't matter." Dante repeated more calmly. "Of course you're jealous. You want to see Raphtalia's parents again. Your parents. And of course you want me to forget about the past. You don't…want me to keep chasing after ghosts."
Sadeena calmed herself as she continued to listen.
"I know…it's possible I won't get a wish. That might be something else that's different. For all I know, this shield could just hurl me back to my world when the waves are over and I'll never get to see you again. That thought alone…I don't want to imagine a world without you in it."
It was always somewhere in the back of his mind. This shield forced him here, so it could very well force him away. If that happened, he knew he'd break forever.
"I couldn't bear to be without you too, little Dante." Sadeena wrapped her arms around him again, softly.
"And…if our positions were reversed…I don't know if I'd feel any different. How could I judge you for that?"
There were plenty of times he wished he could bring his mother back. That was a big part in why he chose to do the next best thing: revenge.
"Our positions aren't reversed." Sadeena said sadly. "They are what they are, so you should judge me for how I feel."
"Then I forgive you." Dante pulled her face toward his and kissed her. "Not that you need me to. You're views on the matter aren't for me to judge unless you ask, and they certainly weren't for that damn angel to expose like that."
"Maybe it's for the best that she did." Sadeena admitted. "It's better to know how we feel about things."
"Yeah…" Dante realized he had some things to say too. "Listen, what she said…about a secret I have…"
Sadeena shook her head. "You don't have to say it."
"It's about you." Dante said.
"You still don't have to tell me anything." Sadeena smiled happily. "We've come this far already. If it was for our survival, you would have said is already. Whatever it is, I don't need to hear it. Besides, we still trust each other, right?"
"Yeah." It was true that effect was still listed in his status. What he had to say wasn't necessarily about survival, until it was. It was regarding her family. Her old family. About a sister she didn't know she had.
Of course, this world being what it is, her sister might not exist either. It all depended on what was different in Q'ten Lo. There was a good possibility they would never find out, too.
"Sorry about all that." Sadeena wiped her eyes as she spoke.
"Don't be." Dante shook his head. "Some asshole caused this problem, and now she's not a problem anymore. We should get back. Khana's waiting, and I'd like to get this over with."
"Oh my~. That's not romantic at all!" Sadeena teased.
Their problems were far from over. That battle was too close. They'd need some serious strength if they kept getting that dangerous. Dante, too, made a mistake at the end of the battle. Instead of indulging his wrath, he should have at least tried questioning Iaoth. There were many answers he didn't have, but a big one was about this goddess Iaoth followed.
Author's Notes:
I did miss one of Khana's lines last chapter, where she said "little man" during the fight. Or did I? Was it a mistake, or was it a happy little accident?
It was a mistake, but I'll never admit it.