Chapter 54 – Family
Rishia knelt on the ground. Her hands were dug into the dirt as she stared at her parents' graves. She sat there, wordless.
Dante turned to the man that brought them here. "What happened?"
The man wore a frown. "They were killed by bandits, or so they say, but…"
Dante gestured for the man to elaborate.
The man told Dante that the Ivyreds did indeed raise taxes to pay off their debt. However, when they had enough and returned the money, the neighboring lord refused to return Rishia. From what Dante gathered, it was around the time Rishia was sold off. They tried petitioning the crown, but no response came. The Ivyreds ended up taking their recently hired soldiers out with them to take back their daughter.
Not even a day later, the soldiers returned. They claimed the Ivyreds were killed by bandits on the way. After that, the soldiers brought the land under the neighboring lord's control, but kept the taxes high. Many people here thought they killed the two, and Dante had to agree, but there was no proof.
From what Dante gathered from the man and Rishia, the Ivyreds weren't well liked by their fellow nobles. As far as Dante could tell, there were no demi-human slaves here. He hated to admit it, but that was likely a factor in their lack of wealth. Slaves weren't exactly cheap, but there was no denying their use as a labor force.
Crying distracted Dante from his thoughts. It started as soft whimpers before quickly growing into loud wailing. Dante let Dio walk up to Rishia and sit next to her, the girl clinging to the filolial as she mourned.
There were concerns about leaving Rishia here before. The biggest worry was that neighboring noble learning Rishia was back and trying something with her again. In that case, all she had to do was call for him and Dante would bring whoever he was with and crush the problem at hand. He could've discussed with her parents beforehand to figure out what an appropriate response would be.
Now, though…Leaving Rishia here was even more dangerous.
The only people she could really count on here were the villagers. If their demeanor was any indication, they had no say on anything. If the guards were all on that noble's payroll—a notion Dante could easily believe—then the first one to recognize her could report it to him.
That last part was looking more and more likely. The people here were starting to take notice of Rishia, and that would soon lead to the guards coming. As much as Dante wanted to keep him being here a secret, he didn't have the heart to tell Rishia to quiet down.
Well, I don't think I could leave Rishia here, anyway. The guards figuring out I'm here will only cause problems for Rishia if she stays, so it doesn't really matter. She might have some family elsewhere, though I don't know how that'd work out.
Whatever plans Dante was coming up with were quickly dashed. Something he didn't expect to happen so soon did.
A notification popped up in his vision. Eclair was calling for him. She was back in the village, so it'd be an easy to get to her quickly, but that wasn't the problem.
What the hell could be happening there right now—her HP just dropped!
It wasn't only her. Elvira was calling for him too, and her HP took a hit as well.
"Rishia, I'm sorry about this, but we need to go." Dante looked around again. A pair of guards were approaching.
"Gweh!" Dio called out. Not having the same information as Dante, she likely wasn't pleased.
"Something's going on in the village." Dante said, coming closer to the pair. The guards were nearly there. "If you're coming, we need to go."
He wished he didn't need to bring her back. He wished she could have time to grieve properly. But, it looked like things couldn't work out that way.
Rishia stood up slowly, sniffing as she rubbed her eyes. "Sir Dante…Did you mean what you said before? About me having potential?"
"Hey, isn't that…" One of the guards murmured, pointing at Rishia.
"Never mind the girl. What did she call that woman?" The other one asked as he put his hand on his sheathed sword.
"I did." Dante quickly said.
Rishia turned around. She held her hand to her chest, her voice bursting with courage and conviction, so unlike what Dante had seen from her before. "Then please, Sir Dante, take me with you."
"Good." Dante shifted his shield to his Dark Tyrannosaurus Shield. Dio transformed into her filolial queen form as well.
"It is the Shield Demon!" The guards drew their weapons. "Come quick! The Shield Demon is—"
"Portal Shield!" Dante activated his skill, taking the three of them away.
~The Wrong Hero~
The second they returned to the village, they were greeted by the sounds of panicked cries. Dante immediately saw a couple camping plants had their front walls knocked in, the occupants thankfully not inside. The nearest one had one of Reiko's bull monster sliced up in the plant matter wall. He saw another on the ground, cut cleanly in half down the middle. Fiadia was next to it, her breathing shallow. Her knights weren't so lucky
Twisting his head around to find the source of the attack, Dante saw a body fly toward him. He caught them in his arms, a mess of pink hair obscuring his vision.
"Eclair!" He yelled, quickly looking over the lady knight.
Her HP was considerably low. There was a large gash across her abdomen, which was devoid of her usual armor. Dante brought up his status and poured his HP into her.
But, nothing happened. Her HP didn't increase, nor did his go down. A popup flashed in his vision.
Unable to transfer. Damage type non-applicable.
What the hell?
He looked at her wound again. There were burn marks around it, and patches of black flesh were plainly visible. Even if Fiadia was in his party, he could see similar wounds on her.
"Shield…"
Dante looked up at the voice. He saw a tall, burly man standing there, an axe clutched in his right hand. The shape had a sinister look to it. It was black with streaks of red and jagged edges around the blade and grip.
"W-Who is that?" Rishia asked. Her voice wavered, but her resolve was still there.
"If I had to guess, he's—"
"Shield!" Before Dante could finish, the man rushed him.
"Shit!" Dante threw Eclair to Rishia, quickly raising his shield to meet the incoming axe. It slammed into his shield, making his knees buckle.
Fuck, that's heavy!
Dante pushed the man back, feet digging into the ground to keep from being knocked over.
"Rishia! Eclair should have some holy water on her. Use it on her wound and heal her!" Dante called out
"Yes, Sir Dante!" Rishia began rummaging through Eclair's equipment.
"Ha!" Not to be forgotten, Dio dashed around and slammed her foot into the man's side. It knocked him off balance, but didn't launch him away.
The axe wielder brought his weapon up, gripping it with both hands.
"Air Strike Shield VII!" Dante's skill intercepted the strike.
For a moment.
In an instant, the barrier shattered, allowing the axe to continue on its course. Dio was only barely able to avoid a lethal blow, still taking massive damage from the attack.
"Dio!" Dante slammed into the man, pushing him back once again. In his status, Dante tried to transfer HP to Dio, but the same notice appeared.
The man stopped Dante's movement, gripping his shield with one hand and drawing back his axe with his other. When he swung it around, Dante quickly grabbed his wrist before it could connect. The two struggled to overpower the other, each one trying to trip the other to gain advantage.
Dante felt his shield give way as the man pulled back his hand and smashed it into Dante's face. Blood splattered on the ground from the attack, which repeated again and again.
"Cleave Bash IV!" Dante knocked into the man, disorienting him. With a moment of reprieve, he grabbed the man's shoulder and threw him to the ground. As the man tried to recover, Dante used another skill. "Shield Prison VII!"
Shields surrounded the man, wrapping themselves in chains. Dante jumped back and took in a breath. Rishia was attempting to heal both Eclair and Dio, though the only healing spell she knew was at Faust level. The shield cage began to rattle and crack, metallic clangs echoing out from it. Dante needed an edge.
"As the source of your power, the Shield Hero commands—"
"Finish that spell and the girl dies!" A familiar voice called out.
Dante ceased his casting and looked over. He saw Elvira first, her wounds reflected in her lowered HP. She had one arm twisted behind her back as she was pushed forward. At her throat was a chakram held by a man he hadn't seen since the feast in Faubrey.
"Conrad." Dante's voice dripped with hate.
As he spoke, the Shield Prison finally gave out. The man with the axe stood, glaring at Dante with manic eyes.
Conrad continued walking with Elvira. "I didn't think you'd return so soon, but now's as good a time as any."
"Let go of Elvira and fight me." Dante narrowed his eyes, keeping himself between the two assailants and his injured party. "That's what you came here for, right?"
Conrad shook his head dismissively. "You think this is all about you? How arrogant."
"Shield…" The axe wielder was breathing heavily, never removing his eyes from Dante.
"Well, one of us is here for you specifically, I suppose." Conrad let out a chuckle. "Me? I couldn't care less about you."
Dante took one step forward. The chakram against Elvira's neck drew blood.
"Stay right there, unless you don't care what happens to this one." Conrad threatened.
"You do anything to her, and there'll be nothing stopping me from killing you." Dante warned.
"Ooh, scary~." Conrad gave a loud laugh.
"What do you want?" Dante asked him.
"He's here for Lady Elvira." Eclair came forward, clutching her stomach where her wound was partially healed. Dio was on her other side in a similar state, with Rishia behind them both and clutching her shortsword as she continued her healing
"That's right." Conrad nodded, smiling. "This is a personal matter between me and her. I'd appreciate it if you didn't interfere. You have your own problems to worry about."
Dante's eyes shifted to the axe wielder. He gripped his weapon in both hands, wringing the shaft of it. He looked like he was frothing at the mouth.
"I take it this is the Axe Hero?" Dante lowered his shield and angled it behind him. Obscured from their vision, he let a few of his battle potions stick out. Since he couldn't cast his spell, he at least wanted his party to power up with them. If it didn't technically count as a poison, he'd take one too.
Conrad scoffed. "If you can call him that. He's been getting crazier by the day. He wasn't like this a week ago. Then again, the last Axe Hero didn't last this long."
Dante wasn't getting even close to the whole picture here. "What does that mean?"
"This guy's been the Axe Hero for under two weeks." Conrad said. "The last guy lasted about half of that."
"What's wrong with him?" Dante asked. He wanted to keep Conrad talking while he figured out a plan. He had one, but it was only minimally better than their current situation.
"Don't know, don't care." Conrad shrugged. "I just told him I'd help kill you in exchange for his help. Imagine my surprise when my path actually led me right to you!"
The Axe Hero snarled at that comment, his glare shifting between Dante and Conrad. The Projectile Hero didn't seem to care about admitting such a thing to him.
"But why are you here?" Dante tried again. "Why are you after Elvira?"
Conrad sighed. "Like I said, that's not your—"
"Dancing Shield IV! Air Strike Shield VII!" Dante let loose his shield, placing it between Conrad's weapon and Elvira. He then used his second skill to separate them. "To me!"
Elvira sprinted toward Dante, though the Axe Hero was much faster in reaching him.
"Shooting Star Shield VIII!" Dante reclaimed his shield and deployed his barrier. It lasted no longer than his last skill against the Axe Hero's attack. Dante took the heavy hit on his shield. This time, however, he had Eclair and Dio ready to strike, both having quickly downed their potions.
Eclair hooked her sword under the edge of the axe. She wasn't able to really control his movement, but it was enough to allow a heavy kick from Dio.
"Titanic Charge V!" Dante rammed into the Axe Hero. Instead of following through, he transferred the momentum of the strike, allowing the Axe Hero to be thrown back. It was less than 20 feet, but it gave Dante room to cast.
"As the source of your power, the—gah!" Dante dropped to the ground, his knee keeping him from fully falling. The pain in his thigh throbbed.
"Mama!" Dio cried out as a boom echoed around them.
Dante glanced up at Conrad. He casually struck the Air Strike Shield with his chakram, shattering it and walking forward. A grin with sadistic glee decorated his face.
"I'm sure you're aware of your situation now." He spun his weapon around his finger.
"You…" Dante slowly stood. A glance at the Axe Hero told him he wasn't about to charge right away. "You brought Takt to the wave."
"That's not his name, but yes." Conrad admitted. "I planned on killing the other Seven Star Heroes that showed up, and then give my weapon to him as payment. Well, that whole thing did get away from me a bit. But…" Conrad held the chakram in front of him. It glowed brightly, the light stretching out to either side. When it dimmed, another weapon was in its place.
"I was able to correct that." He brought his arm down, a long-hafted hammer in his hand.
"You…" Dante's mouth dropped. "K-Khana…"
"Is dead." Conrad smirked. "I didn't walk here, you know. I used the portal location in her hammer. Lloyd's dead too, in case you were wondering."
Dante clenched his fists. "You killed my friends."
Conrad twirled the hammer around. "Your friends, their friends, even my friends. Well, they weren't really my friends. Just some party I formed for the waves. They were just another in a long line of distractions from what I truly wanted." When he finished, he pointed the hammer's head at Elvira, who was standing behind Dante.
Dante lifted his shield, blocking Elvira from his view. "Vassal Weapons! I command you to leave your hosts and find ones to serve the world!" He quickly yelled.
Conrad cocked his head to the side. "Was that supposed to do something?" The hammer in his hand stayed in place, the same with the Axe Hero.
"I was hoping it would." Dante didn't actually know how to free Vassal Weapons from unworthy heroes. He recalled there was a chant, so it was probably a spell of some sort, but he tried anyway.
Really, he didn't understand what was going on at all. Conrad had seemed focused on doing his job. Like Khana said, he wasn't really a fun person, but he wasn't arrogant or sadistic, until today. It was hard to imagine him being a reincarnated.
Could that be another difference? Reiko was a little bratty at first, but she could also talk about being reincarnated. She made it sound like there wasn't much cohesion between the reincarnated, and the ones who brought them back to life. I have too many questions and not enough answers.
"Do you have a plan, Sir MacRory?" Eclair asked, readying her sword.
"Not really." Had he known things were this bad, he would have cast his spell before returning. As things stood, they couldn't do without it.
"I have an idea." Eclair said. "Send Dio to find this Takt person. The four of us will fight these two."
"That's…" He didn't like that idea at all.
"I know where the shot came from, Mama." Dio offered eagerly. "I can go beat him up!"
"This isn't a great plan, but it's what we have." Eclair pressed.
"Damn it…" Dante had to agree with her.
Sadeena, JoJo, Raphtalia, and Rifana were leveling in the sea today. Fohl, Atla, Keel, and Lilith wouldn't be back for some time, too. Dante pinged all their slave seals when he saw the situation, but he didn't expect reinforcements in time. Aside from Rat and Reiko, they were on their own.
The only consolation was that Takt didn't appear to be as powerful as he thought. He didn't realize it before, but the attacks from Takt's weapon did about the same amount as when he had his Aura spell active. It was obvious when he thought about it, since Nisha wasn't blown to pieces when she got hit in the North Ferret Forest. The attacks must have ignored defense.
"That's a neat plan." Conrad began tapping the hammer head in his open hand. "Think she'll be enough?"
"I can help with that."
Conrad spun around. He brought up the hammer and intercepted a few projectiles before one landed on his shoulder. A small dagger was lodged in place there. A dark blur flew over top of him, landing next to Dante and his group.
"Shadow!" Dante looked over at the masked man.
"My poison should slow him down a little." The rat therianthrope said, brandishing a shortsword. "I can go with your filolial to find the other assassin. My attacks don't seem to do much against the ones here."
"Tsk." Conrad ripped the dagger from his shoulder and threw it to the ground. "I hate shadows."
"Go, quickly!" Dante yelled. The shadow jumped to Dio as she ran off. "Bring him back alive if you can, dead if you must!"
A soft thump sounded as a bit of dirt next to Dio was knocked up, another boom following shortly after.
Either he figured out our intentions, or he's got good hearing. I hope they'll be fine.
"Well, isn't that grand?" Conrad approached, quickly shifting his weapon into a war dart. The Axe Hero slowly made his way closer as well. "But that's just fine. I wouldn't feel satisfied if it was too easy. Do try making this a challenge."
"Why are you doing this?" Dante demanded. He wanted to stall as long as he could to get a plan for these two thought up. "What will killing Elvira do for you?"
"That's my business." Conrad readied his weapon. "All you need to know is you're in my way."
Before Conrad could launch his weapon, the Axe Hero rushed forward.
"Air Strike Shield VII!" Dante's skill blocked his path, but it didn't even slow him down. He simply smashed through it with his axe and kept on running. "Second Shield VII!" Even in the middle of a backswing, he was able to break right through, barely losing a step.
"Yeah, good luck with that." Conrad taunted. "He's got every power up method you told us."
The Axe Hero slammed his weapon into Dante's waiting shield. With grit teeth, Dante held him back, if barely. Eclair lunged forward, driving her sword into his shoulder. The cut was shallow. Unfortunately, the moment she retracted her blade, the wound closed.
The axe was brought back and slashed against the shield again and again. It chipped away at Dante's HP as he tried deflecting the blows to reduce the damage. Elvira's whip found its way around the haft of the axe, pulling it off course. Dante used the opportunity to grab the man and toss him to the ground.
"As the source of your power—"
"Air Strike Throw VII!"
"Shooting Star Shield VIII!"
Dante had to stop his casting again to deploy his barrier. The war dart shattered it, but Dante was able to completely deflect it with its lowered momentum using his shield.
"Damn it all!" Dante yelled as the Axe Hero got back up and resumed his assault. The time it took to gather his magic and cast his spell was too long while in this sort of combat.
"All Faust Heal!" Rishia, at least, had managed to cast a spell and replenished some of their HP.
"Sir MacRory, I can handle this one. Go after Conrad!" Eclair called, making light cuts into his side.
"Are you nuts!?" Dante continued taking the attacks.
"If his intent is to kill you, then his attention will be divided as he fights me. Your potion will let me keep up for some time. Either way, we won't be winning this fight without your spell."
Dante didn't want to leave her to fight a nearly fully powered up hero with what was undoubtedly a cursed weapon. Still, better options weren't readily apparent.
"Elvira, with me! Rishia, continue healing and buffing Eclair! Cleave Bash IV!" Dante broke off the attack with his skill, giving Eclair a moment to switch in as Dante ran for Conrad.
"Not a bad plan. Too bad it won't work. Flaming Javelin VIII!" Conrad hurled his weapon at Dante, coated in roaring flames.
"Titanic Charge V!" Dante burst ahead, taking the attack on his shield. It hurt, but it was worth it to close the distance. His spiked shield rammed into Conrad…
However, Conrad wasn't pushed back in the slightest.
Over his shield, Dante saw he was stopped by a single outstretched hand. Conrad grinned at him, barely fazed by the attack. He brought up his weapon hand, but had it twisted around. In a swift motion, he struck Dante with the back of his hand, staggering him back.
Dante looked to the ground. A small splattering of blood marked the earth. He gazed back at a smirking Conrad.
"Oh no! How did he do that!?" Conrad called in a mocking voice.
Dante readied his shield again. Elvira caught up and stood slightly behind him with her whip out.
"In case you're wondering, it's not from the other Seven Star Weapons." Conrad switched to the Hammer again. "I only seem to get their bonuses when I have them out. I have other means of gaining power."
Dante shifted about, the sounds of clashing metal and echoing booms behind him. Dio hadn't taken any damage yet, and the small amount of damage Eclair took was mostly healed.
"I'm not here to chat." Dante attacked with his shield. The quicker he subdued Conrad, the quicker he could cast his spell and end this fight.
"You ought to." Conrad easily deflected the strike from Dante and whirled around. "Overwhelming Slam VI!"
Dante was able to catch the hammer on his shield, but he was sent tumbling back for his effort. Conrad took one step forward before a whip wrapped around his leg. He looked back to Elvira with a scoff, effortlessly kicking back and ripping the whip from her hands. Without her main weapon, Elvira unsheathed her shortsword.
"You should just ask Elvira here how I'm so strong." Conrad looked back to Dante, unconcerned about the vampire behind him.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Dante had gotten back on his feet and slowly approached.
"What do you think?" Conrad gave him a toothy smile.
It was in that moment Dante realized what he meant. Two large canines protruded in his mouth. "You're a vampire!?"
Elvira paused at the declaration.
"There you go!" Conrad brushed back the hair on the side of his head, running his finger over the round ear. "I never felt so free as the day I cut these damn things down."
"Ha!" Dante swung his shield at him again, only for Conrad to sidestep it. He casually swung his hammer as Dante jumped back.
"Elvira, here!" Dante retrieved another battle potion from his shield and threw it to her. However, it flew right past her. "Elvira!"
"You…" Elvira weakly muttered. "Are you…"
"Seems like the little girl worked it out." Conrad stretched his arms out to his sides and gave a mocking bow. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Corbin Tepes-Belmont, son of Donavan Tepes and Drusilla Belmont."
Elvira lowered her sword ever so slightly. "You're…my cousin…"
"Titanic Charge V!" Dante rammed into Conrad again, hoping his posturing would leave an opening. Sadly, the same result occurred. Dante was at least able to avoid a blow to his head this time.
"Really, Dante, you're no match for me." Conrad laughed. "Not with all the people I drank from over the past few days."
Those words caused Dante to grit his teeth. "Khana and Lloyd."
Conrad nodded. "The heroes, their parties, my party, and…" He gave a glance back to Elvira.
The vampire girl took in a sharp breath. "What did you do…?"
"I did what I should have done the day I killed mother." Conrad gave a wicked laugh. "Congratulations, Elvira! You are now the head of House Belmont!"
Elvira shook in place. Her breathing became labored, taking deeper and deeper breaths. Her fangs extended as her eyes dilated.
"Bastarrrrrd!" She ran at him, swinging her sword wildly.
"Stop!"
"Air Strike Hammer V! Second Hammer V!"
Conrad knocked Dante down with his skills before turning to the rushing vampire.
"Air Strike Shield VII! Second Shield VII!" As Elvira slashed at Conrad madly, the older vampire pierced the erected shields as they popped up to defend her. With the stats he gained, Dante's defense was no match for Conrad's attack. "Dancing Shield IV!"
"Overwhelming Slam VI!" Conrad struck the floating shield against Elvira, rocketing her into one of the camping plants. Dante's status told him she was still alive, but that attack cut her HP down to dangerous levels.
"I guess I'll take care of you so I can really enjoy myself." Conrad pointed his hammer at Dante.
"You killed them." Dante quickly stood back up. "They were your family, and you killed them. What kind of monster would do that!? To your own mother!?"
"I don't have to explain myself to someone known as a butcher!" Conrad spat. "That winged woman was right about one thing. I did run away. But, no longer. I am no one's puppet. I proved it all those years ago, and I'm proving it now."
Hammer met shield as the two clashed.
"Imagine my surprise." Conrad pushed against Dante's shield. "I killed every vampire at my mother's old home, and not one told me where to find my cousin. Father's too, for that matter. The next day, I got a vision about where to find Elvira. Of course Aunt Nisha gave away her daughter to Lord Shield."
Dante didn't have time to process all this new information. His strength and defense barely kept him on his feet as Conrad swung at him. It was clear he wouldn't win a head-on fight with the empowered vampire hero, but there weren't any other options now. He couldn't spare a glance in her direction, but Eclair's HP kept getting chipped away and healed nearly half as much.
Dante needed to cast his spell.
"Titanic Charge V!"
"Haven't you learned that—" Conrad was cut off as Dante raced past him. He spun around, only to see Dante's extended hand.
"Shield Prison VII!" Shields surrounded Conrad, capturing him. With the magic he was gathering, Dante began casting again.
"As the source of your power, the Shield Hero commands you! Reveal the old lore once—"
"Sir MacRory, watch—"
Eclair's warning was cut off by a scream of pain. Dante fell forward to the ground, a heavy blade in his back. He could see over his shoulder the cursed axe embedded in him, only for it to be ripped away and fly off. The Axe Hero accepted his weapon back, returning to battle with Eclair.
With a groan and a crash, the prison broke apart. Conrad walked around the disappearing shields, laughing maniacally as he approached the downed Shield Hero.
"Not bad for a crazy man, huh?" Conrad leaned over, licking his fangs as he eyed Dante.
"Before this is over…" Dante coughed up blood as he glared at the man standing over him, "I'll mount your head on a spike for everyone to see what happens to—" A violent burst of coughing interrupted him.
Conrad laughed as he straightened out. "You look pretty cute when you're mad. Guess you weren't able to cure that curse. Maybe I'll see if I can take your shield without killing you and keep you as a pet."
Dante struggled to stand, but the throbbing pain in his back kept him from moving. The curse from that axe was too strong, keeping him from replenishing his HP with his Stat Allocation.
The hammer head thumped on the ground. Conrad leaned on the other end of it. "Then again, it sounded like you tried to take my weapons from me. I can't have you trying that again."
He hefted the hammer over his shoulder, slowly walking around Dante. "It's better this way. As much as I'd like to have a goombah for a pet, it just wouldn't be safe."
"Goombah…" The word escaped Dante's lips. He rarely heard it, people usually missing his Italian heritage behind his Irish. "You really…are reincarnated…"
Even from his position on the ground, Dante could see Conrad's eyes widen. He dropped his playful demeanor in an instant. "If you know that much, I really can't let you live."
Conrad lifted the hammer high above his head. Dante knew Eclair wouldn't be able to get to him in time. Rishia…wouldn't be able to do anything yet. The others…he needed to ping the ones outside the village again. This time, the code for 'everything is fine'. That way, they wouldn't get killed too.
But, Dante couldn't focus on the slave menu. He could barely focus on the hammer looming above him.
"Overwhelming Slam VI!" With a tight grip, Conrad brought down his hammer. It slammed into the ground, kicking up dirt and debris. "…What the…"
Dante saw the hammer imbedded in the ground, mere inches in front of his face.
In the next moment, Conrad was knocked off balance. Hooves appeared in his vision as a bull monster pushed back Conrad.
"Zweite Heal!" Rat's voice called out. His HP increased, though not by much. The healing itself eased the pain and allowed him to move again.
Dante scrambled to his feet as Conrad flipped the bull over, switching his weapon to a type of sickle with a chain and carving into it. Dante looked over and saw Rat behind one of the camping plants. Reiko was next to her, hands extended toward Dante.
An illusion. Reiko made it look I was in a different place.
"You…" Conrad looked over as well, spitting to the side. "Of course you'd be here. This your handiwork, Anthreya?"
Dante saw the look on Rat's face. It wasn't one he'd seen on her. She'd gotten upset or mad before, but right now…it screamed utter loathing.
"Kill him!" She screamed to Dante. "Kill him, Lord, and I'll serve you forever!"
Dante knew that face well. It was one he saw every day in the mirror after his family was killed. She wanted revenge.
"Had I known you'd end up here, I'd have just killed you instead." Conrad spun his sickle around by the chain.
Dante stepped in front of him, blocking his view. "I always thought Rat might have wanted someone dead, but she never said anything about her enslavement. This clears that up."
"Hmph. You act like this will help you win. You're only delaying your death." Conrad stopped spinning his sickle, the sound of Rat chanting out another spell clear. "Air Strike Throw VII!"
"Air Strike Shield VII!" Dante intercepted the skill with his own, diverting its course enough for Reiko and Rat to evade. "Titanic Charge V!"
"Zweite Decay!" Dante's shield glowed as it made contact with Conrad. He struck with his clenched fist in Dante's face, though boils had appeared there. Rat's spell had attacked Conrad from the inside after passing through Dante's shield.
"This still changes nothing!" Conrad kicked Dante back, making some distance between the two of them. Then a wicked grin formed on his face again.
"Ah!" Eclair cried out, falling to the ground with a crash. There was a large gash on her shoulder, and her HP had dropped again. Rishia's healing was no longer enough. The Axe Hero drew up his weapon.
"Second Shield VII!" Dante threw up his skill, hoping Eclair might be able to dodge in time. However, the Axe Hero stopped. He looked over at Dante and started running.
Shit, this is bad!
Before Dante could ready himself, a whip wrapped around his shield. Conrad had changed his weapon again into the Vassal Whip and pulled. Dante was able to stop himself from getting dragged along, but do little else.
"Hey, Dante, didn't you mention losing your left arm?" Conrad cackled.
With no time to react, Dante cried out as the axe bit into his right arm, severing it just below his shoulder. He fell to the ground, clutching at his wound. It was seared shut from the cursed flames that danced on the axe, but that didn't stop him from howling in pain.
"Hahaha!" Conrad pointed at Dante as he rolled on the ground. "I'm guessing Anthreya here made you a new arm before. Maybe she can make another before I kill you."
Dante stopped moving, curling up on himself. The sound of flesh being rend filled his ears as the Axe Hero continued to chop at his severed arm. The Holy Shield had already moved to his remaining one.
"S-Stop!" He heard Rishia call out, standing where Eclair was fighting the Axe Hero.
"You going to make me?" Conrad taunted. "Go ahead and try."
"Lady Rishia, stay back!" Rat yelled.
"But what about Sir Dante?" Rishia countered.
"Yes, what about the Shield Hero, Anthreya?" Conrad's voice was getting closer.
Rat didn't respond. Dante could hear Conrad's footsteps getting louder. The sounds of flesh being mashed had stopped.
"Nothing to say? I thought so." Conrad stopped moving, standing just before Dante. "Well, this was fun."
Damn…just a few more seconds…
"Hm? What are you muttering?" Conrad grabbed Dante's remaining arm and pulled him up—
"Drifa Thunder Guard!" Sadeena's voice rang out and lightning crackled. She flew through the air in her therianthrope form, her harpoon stabbing into the Axe Hero's stomach.
"Grahhhh!" The Axe Hero yelled, a squelching sound heard all around.
"Damn it, what now?" Conrad shifted in his spot. When he did, he noticed Dante's lips moving.
"Faust Aura IX!" Dante finished his spell and gripped Conrad's arm. Planting his feet on the ground, he swung Conrad around and threw him away.
Faust spells were easier and quicker to cast than Zweite spells. Dante didn't want to risk starting a stronger spell, only for Conrad to stop him again. He settled for the weaker version. If he had the magical know-how, he'd have altered it mid-chant to include the new arrivals.
As he looked around, he saw the Axe Hero swing his fist around and slam into Sadeena's head, knocking her back. The harpoon was pulled from his stomach, but he electrocuted part of his hand for the effort. Sadeena's spell coated her body in electricity, harming anyone who attacked her.
Conrad stopped his tumble quick enough to avoid Raphtalia's blade. She, too, was in her therianthrope form. Swinging her blade down again, Raphtalia was able to make a glancing blow on Conrad's arm as he jumped up.
JoJo stood next to Rifana. He was panting, likely having pushed himself to get here so quick. Eclair was already moved to his back and was receiving healing. She was barely conscious, but she'd live. Rishia had moved over to where Elvira landed and was treating her.
"Well, isn't this just fucking perfect!?" Conrad yelled, standing next to the Axe hero. "I'm not risking losing here now. We're leaving. Portal Javelin!"
Dante cursed to himself. With that skill, they'd be able to retreat and attack them again.
Only…the two of them stayed where they were.
"Hey, asshole!" Conrad yelled to the Axe Hero. "Switch out your weapon. It's interfering with my skill!"
"Shield…" The Axe Hero had his gaze fixed on Dante.
"Forget him! We need to go!"
"Shield…!" The Axe Hero shook, his grip tightening on his weapon.
Conrad grit his teeth. "Listen to me, you stupid bastard! If I have to wait for my goal, then so do you! Now, switch out your fucking weapon or I'm kicking you from the party!"
The Axe Hero didn't care for Conrad's outburst. He screamed with a horrid expression, his weapon changing shape. The flames around it grew brighter, the edges sharper.
Fuck, did that just get stronger!?
He turned his full attention to the shorter hero. With one swift motion, there was one less hero in the village. Conrad's head flew from his body, a chard mass of flesh. His body thrown back and to the ground, his weapon splitting apart into their separate forms and being hurled from his body.
There was no time to process this new predicament, as the Axe Hero immediately turned to his nearest enemy. He swung his axe at Raphtalia, who barely managed to block the strike. Her weapon was less fortunate, shattering on contact as shards burst out.
"Dancing Shield IV!" Dante ran forward and sent his shield to protect her from the follow-up, reducing the damage somewhat as she was thrown into one of the camping plants.
Sadeena was on him in seconds, piercing him with her harpoon. The electricity surged around him, but it didn't slow his movements. He swung his axe in a wide sweep, prompting Sadeena to pull free her harpoon and back off. He was directly in front of her a moment later, swinging his heavy axe. Dante moved his Dancing Shield over to her, partially blocking the strike as she was thrown back. That turned the Axe Hero's attention back to where it originally belonged.
Dante quickly recalled his shield to him and blocked the blow from the charging, deranged hero. The blows were slightly lighter than before, his spell helping to compete with the stronger axe, but he was running out of HP.
"Cleave Bash IV!" He managed to connect his skill to the man's body, but it didn't even slow him down.
Even without using skills, he's still this strong!?
Dante could do little other than try to divert the overwhelming strikes coming at him. Luck, however, had run out for him. He fell backward, tripping over Conrad's crumpled body.
The Axe Hero brought up his weapon. Dante knew he couldn't bring his shield against it in time. The blade burned with cursed fire as it swung down.
However, it never reached him. Standing over Dante, the large orca woman took the attack. Her harpoon was cut in half as she tried to block. The axe had cut deep into her, from just next to her neck to half way down her torso. Curse fire flared around the vast wound as the electricity around her dissipated.
"SADEENA!" Dante cried out as the Axe Hero retrieved his blade. Sadeena fell back, falling onto Dante as he desperately clung to her.
"Shield Prison VII! Air Strike Shield VII! Second Shield VII! Tower Shield V!" He cast skill after skill, trying to postpone the attack as he stood. Once the three barriers broke, he resorted to strengthening his own shield and taking the attacks as long as he could. At his current rate of HP loss, it wouldn't be long.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Raphtalia. She was running to them, anger in her eyes, but hope in her hands.
The Axe Hero seemed to notice and turned his attention. Dante dismissed his Tower Shield and leapt for him, grabbing the rampaging hero's axe with his only hand. The man returned his focus to Dante, grabbing his head with his free hand. That was all the time Raphtalia needed. She clutched her weapon in her hands, bringing it up high above her.
"Overwhelming Slam!"
With a shout, she brought the hammer down on the distracted Axe Hero.
Disoriented but not dead, the large man stumbled forward. Dante pulled him to the ground with him, pinning his arm with his legs and keeping his axe hand away.
"Again!"
"Quake Hammer!"
With no means to protect himself and nothing but the ground below the Axe Hero's head, it smashed to pieces from the strike. The ground reverberated as he ceased his struggles.
Dante let his arm fall to the side, filling his lungs with relieved breaths. It didn't last long as he quickly scrambled over to Sadeena. She was barely breathing, parts of her insides visible through the burns.
"Sadeena!" Dante called out to her, watching her HP quickly drop. "Rat! Rifana! Heal her, quick! Bring holy water!"
"Little…Dante…" Her voice was hoarse and barely noticeable.
"I'm here." Dante gripped her hand. He tried pouring what little HP he had into her, but the curse damage repelled it.
The others quickly came over, pulling every vial of holy water they had.
"Zweite Healing Warmth IX!"
"Zweite Heal!"
"Drifa Healing Warmth!"
They began pouring holy water over the wound, chanting their spells all the while. The wound, however, wasn't closing, nor was the curse getting cleansed. Her HP rose slightly, but it fell right back down.
"Keep going!" Dante roared, casting his spell again.
"Zweite Heal!" The wound glowed again, but it didn't change. "Lord…"
"Don't stop!" Dante yelled at Rat, who looked at Sadeena with downcast eyes.
"Lord…we can't remove the curse. The holy water isn't strong enough."
"Use more of it!" Dante didn't accept that answer. Rat shook her head. Dante leaned closer to Sadeena. "Cast Dragon Vein, Sadeena! You can use the holy water to get rid of the curse, right!?"
Sadeena took in a sharp breath. "Can't…focus…"
Dante shook his head. "No, no, no! Keep casting, everyone!"
"Little Dante…" Sadeena rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand. "I need…to tell you…"
"Don't talk!" Dante chanted out his spell again, to no effect.
"I should have told you…long ago…You probably…didn't realize…what I did…"
Dante ignored her words, continuing to deplete his MP in a vain attempt to heal her. He dropped MP potions from his shield to keep going, and used HP potions and salves on Sadeena. They helped, but only temporarily.
"But…I was afraid…Didn't want you…to hate me…"
"Stop talking like that!" Dante yelled, panic filling his voice. "You're going to be fine! I just have to keep healing you until—"
"Child…killer…" The words Sadeena spoke made Dante pause. "She was…talking about me…"
Blood leaked from her mouth, causing a fit of coughing. When she settled down, she spoke again.
"I killed…so many people…entire families…"
"Stop!" Dante gripped her hand tightly. "It doesn't matter! You're going to be fine! Keep whatever secrets you—"
"I tried to tell you before…but I'm a coward…" Sadeena smiled softly, letting her eyes close. "So…you don't have to be sad…at my death…"
"You aren't dying!"
Dante could see her HP going down, a countdown he refused to accept. Despite what she said, Rat continued to heal Sadeena. Rifana didn't let up either, continuously casting as tears poured down her face.
There has to be something I can do! There has to be! I am not losing you! I refuse to accept this!
His MP was getting lower and lower, the same for Rat and Rifana. Everyone else stood around helplessly, unable to do anything.
We just need to remove the curse! Raphtalia has the Hammer. If we could…but, there's no time to run to the church from my room in the castle. No other locations I have are any closer to a church. Reiko, Rifana, and Raphtalia don't know how to cast holy magic. If I could just…
Despair started to fill Dante, but he didn't have the time for it.
I'm not giving up! There has to be a way! I'll pay any price! I'm not losing my family again! Take my arm, take my legs, I don't care! But, you will not take her from me!
Before he even realized it, Dante was speaking. The words that flowed from his mouth seemed foreign to him. They were filled with his intent. Despite not understanding them, he knew what their purpose was.
When he finished, he looked down at Sadeena again.
"Holy Purge!"
White fire spread across Sadeena's wound. The black burns staining her flesh and bones began to dissolve in the bright light.
When the fire extinguished itself, Dante could see the curse burns were completely gone.
"M-Mister Dante…" Rifana held her mouth open as she stared at him.
"Heal her, quick!" Dante yelled, bringing her back into focus. "Heal me, too!"
With her curse removed, Dante began transferring HP to Sadeena. He could feel his left shoulder beginning to open up, mirroring the wound on her body. It was too massive to heal with his ability alone, but that kept her HP up. Although it continued to drop, it slowed considerably. From continued casting and Rat tending to the wound, it slowly began to close.
Just before their MP was depleted, Sadeena's HP stopped decreasing. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked up. "Little Dante…?"
"Sadeena!" Dante gripped her hand tightly. He wanted to throw himself onto her, but he couldn't risk her wound worsening. It would take more time to fully close it.
Sadeena tried to bring up her left hand, but Rifana kept it down. "Please don't move, Sadeena!" The tears hadn't stopped, but she had a huge smile on her face.
Raphtalia knelt down next to Sadeena's head, stroking it with her large hands. "I knew you'd make it. I just knew it."
With a smile on her face, Sadeena gave a soft laugh.
"I'm never letting you go." Dante brought up Sadeena's right hand, kissing the back of it.
Turning it to the side, Sadeena placed her hand against Dante's face. True to his word, he kept his hand on hers.
"I'm just glad I get to see your handsome face again." Sadeena laughed.
Dante didn't understand at first, but he soon made sense of it. His hand that covered Sadeena's was different. It was larger than it was before.
"Is that…" He could hardly believe it. His body had changed back. "How did that…no, I don't care."
All that mattered to him was that Sadeena was alive.
"How did you do that?" She asked him.
"Doesn't matter." Dante shook his head, keeping Sadeena's hand pressed against his face.
"Little Dante…That spell you cast." Sadeena continued.
"Doesn't matter."
"But, how?" Sadeena spoke as Rat kept on examining her wound. "That spell…when did you learn Way of the Dragon Vein?"
Dante heard her words, but shook his head. "Doesn't matter."
It didn't matter how it happened. It didn't matter what it cost him. It didn't matter what his status flashed in his vision.
Curse of Greed Unlocked!
All that mattered was that he still had what was his.
Author's Notes:
On a lighter note, the rule 63 curse has been milked dry and taken to the slaughter house.
Man, I really don't like writing big fight scenes. It was going to turn out a little different, but I kept changing things around to fit better. Well, fit better in some ways, but next chapter will elaborate on a few others.