Alexander Anderson
Backstory:
He is an expert monster hunter and the arch-rival of Alucard. He lives in Italy, operating an orphanage outside Vatican City. Anderson's body is genetically modified to be a Regenerator, a superhuman able to fight supernatural creatures. He serves as the foil to Alucard, as both an antagonist and type of anti-villain.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Regeneration (The ability to heal wounds that would normally leave large scars, such as severe burns or deep injuries. For machines and vehicles, this would be regenerating damage that would normally leave large dents and openings.),
Immortality (Mainly healing factor),
Forcefield Creation,
Holy Manipulation,
Sealing,
Teleportation,
Expert Bayonet Wielder,
Limited Power Nullification (Can negate basic vampire regeneration via his holy bayonets)
Augmented with the Helena's nail, same as before, along with Regeneration (High-Mid, can regenerate as long as the stake in his heart isn't pulled out),
Holy Vine Manipulation (Can generate holy vines from his body),
Holy Fire Manipulation (Can generate holy flames which burned all of Alucard's familiars)
Weaknesses: His regeneration cannot regrow limbs blown off by equipment like Alucard's Jackal If the Nail is ripped out, it rips out his heart with it, killing him.
Damte Alighieri
Backstory: Having previously experienced a difficult childhood, Dante had participated in the Third Crusade in the late 12th century, committing unforgivable acts in the name of God. During a raid on Acre by the forces of the Kurdish leader Saladin, Dante was slain by an assassin and brought before Death, who condemned him to everlasting damnation in Hell with the souls he had ruined.
Unable to accept such a fate, Dante challenged Death to battle, to which he was the victor. Returning home, he learned that his lover Beatrice was killed and Lucifer had taken her to Hell. Resolving to save her, Dante descended through Hell's nine circles to save her from the devil's clutches.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Immortality (Type 7),
Scythe Mastery,
Status Effect Inducement (Has various attacks and powers that can induce Blindness and Stun),
Non-Physical Interaction (Can interact with souls, and the non-corporeal spirits of Hell),
Soul Manipulation (Absorbs the souls of enemies he kills. He can covert these souls into mana for his magic-based abilities, or use them in enhance his skills. He can also absolve souls, removing sin from them),
Magic,
Health and Mana Absorption (Can increase his health and mana after killing enemies),
Acid Manipulation with Putrid voice (Vomits deadly acid in an area around him),
Attack Reflection (Retribution and the Eyes of St. Lucia can deflect enemy projectiles),
Possibly Instinctive Reaction (With Filippo's Rage, he can automatically react to attacks from enemies),
Fire Manipulation (Can cause his scythe to be surrounded with fire and increase his attack damage),
Ice Manipulation (Can shoot ice shards with Righteous Path),
Forcefield Creation (Divine Armor forms a shield around him, and Heaven's Embrace creates a large barrier of energy),
Statistics Amplification,
Holy Manipulation (Can weaponize various forms of holy energy, and utilize it to smite unholy creatures, reducing them to souls),
Regeneration (Mid-Low through various abilities),
Energy Manipulation,
Light Projection,
Resistance to Acid Manipulation with Guiding Flame
Song: Divine Hell
Alexander Anderson, a priest of the Catholic Church, was walking along in the orphanage that he ran in the Vatican. It was his off time, and he was reading a bible despite his usually busy schedule of slaying vampires and the wicked. The man remained focused on his reading as he walked, seemingly having a bit of peace despite what he normally dealt with throughout the day.
Walking in the opposite direction towards the priest was Dante Alighier, a crusader who had found himself lost. Despite the difficulty in finding his beloved, Beatrice, the man was no less determined to find her. He remained steadfast and focused, and his only objective was to locate his lover.
Alexander came to a stop as he caught the scent of Dante's presence, and the man was not hesitant at all to call out his suspicions. With a clear Scottish accent, he called out to the crusader, who had yet to notice the priest.
"Your stench. It reeks of the wicked."
The man then proceeded to close his book, storing it away in his coat before he approached the crusader with more purpose in his steps.
When the crusader stopped, and he turned around with his cross-shaped tapestry sewn into his abdomen visible, he had already caught the priest's eye. The man had come to a stop, and he spoke to the priest back with a tone filled with both shame and resolution.
"Haven't we all sinned, Father?"
The words were indeed true, as all people have sinned and fallen short. Alexander looked at the crusader with a sense of understanding, knowing that they were not the only sinners of this world.
"Aye, but you don't smell like a human lost on his path." He took a deeper sniff, feeling his bloodlust rise. "You… smell of sin itself." Alexander Anderson drew from his coat two blessed bayonet blades, holding them in the shape of a cross. The priest had his senses awakened from the scent of this crusader. And the man was not wrong at all, as he definitely had a scent of sin about him like the actual devils themselves. Now that he had drawn his weapons, it was clear that the priest wasn't going to tolerate this sin any longer. "As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. Amen." Alexander quoted the bible, as he usually does before going on the warpath.
Dante was definitely one to stand up for himself rather than take any threats lying down. The man drew Death's scythe from his back, the unholy weapon boasting considerable size and power, which had been taken directly from the deity itself. He was willing to face the priest with his weapon, despite his own sins, as he was determined to complete his objective.
"I may have committed sin, Father, but I will not let you stop me from finding my Beatrice."
Alexander spoke no more as he started on the offensive. He charged forward, a flurry of pages flying around him, which had apparently come from the bible inside the coat. It was a powerful and ominous sight, even amidst the already intense and dangerous situation. Dante then swung his scythe back at the charging priest, intending to slice him in half, but missed as Anderson jumped over the weapon.
Anderson attempted to bring his blade down onto Dante's head, but the crusader had reacted fast and was able to deflect the attack. Instead of allowing him to successfully plunge the bayonet blade into his head, the crusading man had swiftly moved his scythe around, deflecting the attack. But that wasn't where Dante had stopped, as he swatted the priest away with the blunt end of his unholy weapon, knocking the man away from himself.
Alexander was certainly not one to hold back in his attacks as he continued to charge forward with more support from the bible pages and holy glyphs. He attempted to swing his bayonet blade again, but he found himself locked in a stalemate with the crusader and the unholy scythe, the two supernatural beings seemingly evenly matched in strength and skill.
Alexander and Dante were locked in a battle of opposing offences, with the priest relying on his bayonet's swiftness and ease of use to overwhelm the crusading man. The crusader maintained his position with his own scythe, pushing the priest back with its greater reach and weight to keep him on his toes. The two supernatural beings were clearly evenly matched even in their styles and approaches to the battle, but neither one was stepping back for even a moment, as the intensity and the violence were only increasing.
Dante made sure to take advantage of any opportunity he could find, and when he saw a small opening, he went for it. He attempted to decapitate the priest with a swift strike of his weapon, but Anderson had quickly reacted and rolled out of the way, just barely avoiding the strike. The scythe did end up striking the ground with great force as it attempted to get the man, and it left a deep crack in the stone.
Alexander had another trick up his coat sleeve, taking out an additional set of three blades, and he suddenly threw them at the crusader. Not expecting ranged attack from the priest, the crusader only had time to react and deflect four of them with his scythe, with the remaining two stabbing into his body and his left arm. Dante was not immune to the blades, and his wounds were quite painful, but he did not let that slow him down from continuing his attack.
Anderson began to laughing as he kept throwing the bayonet blades when Dante began to counter them as the crusader managed to take out the cherished item of his lover, Beatrice's silver cross. The man then used it to launch a barrage of crosses made of holy energy, which successfully destroyed the weapons that were attacking him. The counter-attack by the crusader actually managed to harm the priest as well, as it caused him to flinch in pain rather than continuing his own offensive.
Alexander looked baffled at the way the sacred cross was being used. The priest had never seen such an application for a holy symbol like that before, and he was surprised by how it was being used as a weapon.
"Holy-What kind of blessing is this that you have to use the sacred cross in such a manner?" He questioned the crusader on the blessing that allowed him to use it in such a manner, having never come across something like that. The crusader, after removing the bayonets sticking in his body, remained unfazed by the question, and said confidently, and compassionately, with a smile.
"My love gave my this blessing, Father. With this cross, even I can have a piece of her with me at all times. I can even use it to absolve the damned of their sins."
However, this angered the priest, Alexander gritted his teeth, his face now full of rage and anger. Only God had the right to forgive those who were worthy of it, and it was not a right that a random crusader could possess. He spoke out against Dante,
"Only God alone has the right to forgive those worthy of it, and it is not a right that a man could truly possess! You have no privilege to absolve any one of their sins, you heretic!!!"
Anderson had gotten back on the offensive, and was now charging at Dante once again, but that was not the only one being impacted by these cuts and strikes as the crusader attempted downward strike. In his own attack against the priest, Dante was cut across his chest, a bloody x now evident on his cross shaped tapestry while Anderson nearly lost his left arm at the elbow. The cut left a very real mark, and the man's chest was now stained with his own blood.
Even despite the wound that the crusader had sustained from the slash across his chest, he refused to remain down, and continued the battle. The crusader's scythe had successfully split the ground underneath him, letting Dante take advantage of the gap in his defences and attack with his own strike. The blade successfully cut into Alexander's coat, making it now wet with blood. The priest's grey jacket was now stained with his own blood, the cut having caused it to begin to drip down the back.
The crusader's strike caused a cry of pain from the priest, the man having felt the gash in his own back. However, the damage was immediately healed by his healing factor, and his body did not allow itself to remain that injured. He then showed off one of his own tricks, throwing out a chain equipped with bayonet blades which he successfully managed to swing down at the crusader, causing the blades to bury themselves into his body, Dante wincing from the damage. But what Dante really didn't anticipate was for Alexander to yell,
"Exploding chain!"
The hilts of the bayonets connected to the chain sparked with a little fire, before the crusader was caught in an intense explosion. The crusader managed to stay on his feet, even after being hit by the intense explosion. This was a testament to the strength of the crusader, and would certainly not be the last time he would surprise Alexander. Dante then rushed towards the priest with his silver cross, a line of sharp ice crystals following his path. He then used the cross against the priest with a burst of holy light, before grappling the man and throwing Anderson over himself, impaling the priest against his own ice crystals.
"I will not fall to a blasphemous fool such as yourself!" Alexander, though in pain, was still fighting fiercely, his determination to rid the land of this crusader evident. He then took out another bayonet from his left sleeve, and swiped it at Dante's right arm, attempting a clean cut. The crusader cried out, not expecting Anderson to keep going despite the damage.
The crusader took a step back, using his cross to cauterize his own wounds, but this action hurt more than he realized. He cried out in pain, but he was still fighting, determined to continue the battle through the pain he felt. Alexander pried himself free from the ice crystals, and despite the many puncture wounds covering his body, his healing factor was slowly closing them all one by a one.
"You see? You cannot win against a true man of his faith. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Amen." Alexander, with the quote from the bible and a maniac grin, was confident that he would win this battle of faiths. The priest truly believed that his belief in the bible and his unwavering faith would help him come out on top against this crusader heretic. The man would not give up, and only continued to fight with renewed strength.
Alexander's eyes widened when he saw the crusader beginning to glow with light. At first, he had thought that things would play out in his favor and that he would have the victory in this battle between faiths. But things had changed when Dante activated Redemption, with the cross on his chest glowing blue, while the crusader himself shined with a red light, more light radiating from his back like angel wings, further highlighting his wounds as they begun to heal thanks to the Divine Armor's magic.
"You might be holier than I by God's morals, Father, but I will not stop until I've found my Beatrice." Dante spoke to the priest with conviction, his determination to find his Beatrice apparent in his voice. The crusader maintained the confidence and bravado that he had always possessed, and he continued to show no fear in the battle of faiths between the two men.
Anderson knew that the battle with this crusader would indeed prove to be a worthy one, one that could easily rival his fight with Alucard. This battle between faiths would showcase the might of both the faith in God and the faith in one's love and determination.
""With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes." Amen."
The priest quoted the bible again and held the bayonets into the shape of a cross once more, fully prepared for the next confrontation between the two opponents. Dante continued on with the battle, with his remaining arm wielding the scythe with the powerful fires of Hell burning across its curved blade. The crusader was walking towards the priest as well, with the belief in his heart, and the faith that he was walking the right path and that he would be the one to end this fight with a victory. The battle of faiths would continue, and both men would give their all to the fight.
Alexander continued his onslaught on Dante, throwing more bayonets at the crusader. The blades hit their target, one after another, striking the man and leaving a nick in his body. However, the crusader remained undeterred, and each small piece of damage was quickly healed by his impressive healing factor. Despite the damage that was being inflicted on him, the man only continued to advance towards the priest, completely unbroken in his advance.
Seeing the impact that Dante's newfound power had on him had indeed changed the entire battle significantly, so it made sense for Alexander's smile to disappear. The crusader was now proving to be more of a challenge than he had originally anticipated. Regardless, the priest remained unfazed, and instead yelled back as he charged him, "Die!!!" Dante felt the same, and the intensity of the battle only grew.
Anderson attacked ferociously, slashing and stabbing into the crusader with all he's got, trying his best to overwhelm the opponent and make him yield, and gain a clear advantage. But as he attacked, the crusader had gained a significant increase in strength and speed, which he also showed no reaction to as his wounds were healing just as quickly. The two continued on with their battle, neither side backing down in the slightest.
Alexander was beginning to see that he was slowly being overwhelmed by Dante. The bayonet attacks were showing little to no effect on the crusading man, especially with his powerful healing factor working against his own attacks. On the other hand, this healing factor was slowly starting to get overwhelmed with the continuous attacks from the crusader, who was attacking at a much faster rate than the priest could keep up with.
Dante switched his focus and his weapon once more as he managed to cut off both of Alexander's arms. The crusader then took advantage of the opportunity, and charged up the cross with holy energy before thrusting it into the priest. This action created a construct of a giant cross of light which knocked Alexander to the ground, the man left in a bloody mess as blood began to pool up beneath him.
Anderson struggled to get up as his body slowly healed, but had been pinned to the ground by the four crosses of energy, and remained utterly helpless as the crusader approached him. The priest's gaze remained steady as he locked his eyes with the crusader, and he knew that his fate was almost sealed.
The crusader held his beloved's cross tightly in his grasp, and thrusted it deep into Alexander's chest. The energy from the cross began to seep deep into the priest's body, the seering pain overwhelming him and causing him to scream in agony. The attack was doing severe damage to the priest.
Then, after a few more seconds, Alexander's body exploded into light and dust. Alexander had managed to keep himself from immediately dying by the power of his healing factor, but he had definitely reached the limit of that power. The priest knew that he could not go on, and he felt his body begin to lose its strength and light started to seep through him. He was done, and death was inevitable. His body exploded into light and dust, and the battle between the two men had now come to a conclusion.
"Is this the end? Is this what God had planned for me? I don't want to go yet from this beautiful Earth. I wished I could've heard the laughter of the children, one last time. "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." Amen." Alexander uttered, feeling regret to not have accomplished all of his goals in life in God's name.
Anderson's final words as his life finally drew to a close, and his body slowly began to fade away, were indeed those of regret. This priest had not given up, and had fought quite valiantly against his opponent until the very end. However, he admitted that there was still so much more he had wanted to accomplish in the name of God, and that had left him with a sense of regret. He was leaving Earth, but without having completed all of his goals in life. This was indeed his time to die, and he knew that.
"You have lived, and fought well, Father. If you so wish, I can absolve you of yours sins, and ensure you enter through Heaven's gates." Dante offered, holding Beatrice's silver cross. Anderson looked up at Dante with weary eyes as his body continued to fade. He had indeed lived, and fought as well as he had been capable. In the end, he had finally been overcome, and it was now his fate to die. But that did not mean he had no regrets. Seeing the cross in Dante's hands, the priest spoke with a tired voice, knowing that he had fought well, and that his own salvation was now in the man's hands.
"Nay. If I am to be accepted to Heaven, I'd rather it to be God's judgment, and his judgment alone. I have done everything in his name, and to go to Heaven with anyone's help would be blasphemy." Alexander spoke, keeping to his faith in God even to the end. The priest held strong in his faith to the very end, as he refused to accept Dante's offer. Anderson truly believed that if he was to be accepted to Heaven, it had to be God's judgment and God's judgment alone. He felt that any other way would be blasphemy, and he did not want to commit such a thing even in the face of death. He truly stuck to his faith to the very end, and would entrust his fate to God.
Dante respected the priest's decision, and after the cross had been placed back on his hip, he stood up and turned to leave. He would not interfere any further, and allowed Alexander to die in the way he had sought. The crusader would let the priest have his fate, and now walked off, leaving Anderson to pass away as he wished.
Strength: Alexander Anderson may have been the Vatican's greatest paladin, but against this particular crusader, his inhuman strength fell short. His power compared to that of Alucard, but Dante could fight toe to toe with Lucifer, the fallen angel who, when compared to the king of the vampires, is a god of the damned.
Speed: When it comes to speed, both were surprisingly equal. Anderson scales to Alucard, who was able to react to and catch a bullet traveling at Mach 1500. Dante, meanwhile, could move fast enough to prevent Lucifer from flying from the bottom of Hell to the exit in six seconds. That would require moving at Mach 1560, if Hell were to take place at the center of the Earth.
Skill: It is hard to say how skilled they are compared to one another. One was literally built as a regenerative weapon, while the other has the skill to prevent Lucifer from overthrowing God. They appear to be relatively equal.
Experience: Alexander was born to kill vampires and the undead, and could give Dante a run for his money, but was a bit too specialized in them by comparison, whereas Dante has fought all manner of Hellish creatures through all the nine circles, up to Lucifer himself, a fallen angel. Dante is certainly more experienced in fighting a variety in foes.
Powers: Anderson's greatest powers were his unlimited supply of bayonets and healing factor. Being able to never be without a weapon is useful, and his healing factor is superior to Dante's, being able to regrow limbs and survive being fatally shot, but these alone would not be enough. His bayonets may be blessed, but Dante is human, so it would not be any different to being hurt by an average blade. Not to mention, Alexander can still be pushed back and needs a moment for his healing factor to completely heal the damage. Dante's cross from Beatrice can certainly keep his flying bayonets at bay, his powers of fire and ice allows him versatility, and his super forms of Redemption, Divine Armor, and even Lust Storm would provide him the defensive and offensive tools he needs to stonewall anything Alexander could throw at him. Even Helena's Nail wouldn't likely change much, for even with a stronger healing factor, Dante could more than likely rip the nail out if given the chance.
The winner is Dante Aligheri
Next time:
"This will be the story of how I became the greatest demon lord of all!"
"Leaving a big scar in this world... that's my life's goal."