Chapter One Hundred-Twenty-Eight: What It Means to Be Human
The sound of footsteps and the sight of icy breath.
While Zenon was busy laying waste to the Golden Dawn, those two things accompanied another Zogratis sibling as he traversed a part of the Spade Castle, none other than the oldest himself.
"My oh my, it's always so cold down here," Dante mused with a chuckle before eventually coming to a halt, having arrived in an incredibly large room filled to the brim with machinery. He also took quick notice of the fact that the place was empty.
"It looks like our ally from Diamond is taking a little break, but I guess that's to be expected, he's only human, we all are," he said before chuckling again, just for it to continue and turn into a short fit of full-blown laughter. "Oh man, how lucky am I? Getting to be born human over anything else, we're the absolute best,"
"The best, you say?" a male voice spoke in his head in what seemed to be a joking tone.
Similarly to his younger brother, Dante spoke back to the voice casually. "You know what I mean, there's no need for all that. It's just that we humans have such a charm to us, not to mention our greatest quality, the thing that makes us who we are,"
The triad member now gazed up, his eyes falling on two ginormous figures, both encased in a block of ice. "In a sense, you two are the greatest reminders of that thing,"
"There you are, I've been looking for you,"
The man turned around completely as he heard that voice, watching as another person walked up to him. It was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her early 40s with healthy white skin, medium magenta-colored hair, dark blue eyes, and blessings in all the right places. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt under a sleeveless black zip front crop shirt along with black wool pants, both black articles of clothing embroidered with the Spade insignia.
A smirk creased Dante's face upon seeing her. "Well well well, if it isn't my protege, what a pleasant surprise," he began, resting his hands in his pockets. "What can I do for you, Vivian?"
The woman called Vivian wasted no time in answering. "I was informed by Vanica that you were heading out on a mission near Clover,"
"Yes, I'm about to head out shortly," he confirmed. "It's time to begin putting our plan into motion,"
"Then I ask that you let me accompany you," she requested with no hesitation. "No offense to you, but two people will work more efficiently than one,"
The eldest triad member pondered on her words for just a few seconds before nodding. "I don't see why not, I know everything you're capable of," he accepted her request.
A small, proud smile found its way to her lips. "Thank you,"
"No, I must thank you. You've always been the kind of woman who takes the initiative, something a protege should have in spades. I like that about you," Dante closed the distance between them, softly grabbing her chin with his hand. "Among other things,"
Vivian knew exactly what he meant by that as he ogled her, his gaze strange as it was a mix of dignified and lecherous, something only he and he alone appeared to be capable of, but she didn't mind it one bit. "If my body pleases you, feel free to have your way with me,"
Her teacher snickered at that, letting her go. "A tempting offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass, the two of us have a mission to complete," he then walked past her and to the door, the woman never once noticing his expression change to a more serious one. "Besides, I'd rather not share a bed with a member of your family," his mental voice carried a slight amount of vitriol behind it.
"Let's get moving,"
"I'm right behind you, sir,"
In a couple of minutes, the pair found themselves outside, their ears registering the sound of their feet crunching snow, something that was all too typical for them. Dante only took a few more steps before stopping right in front of the castle gate, his protege doing the same.
"I think that's enough walking for us, time to do it the easy way," he said, taking out his grimoire as the two suddenly began to float, ascending a couple of feet above the ground before zooming forward at a moderate speed.
"So, who's our target?" Vivian questioned.
"Well, Zenon and his team left a few minutes ago, and he said he's going after the Gate, that means the two of us are going after the Key," he replied, a crazed grin beginning to form on his face.
"I do hope that you'll be able to entertain me…Yami Sukehiro,"
"Chug! Chug! Chug!"
The mood shifted drastically as perspective left the Spade Kingdom and transitioned to Black Bulls HQ. The word in question was chanted on repeat in the main hall, practically all the people present encircling the round table.
Why? For no other reason than to watch Azaela down a wooden mug full of booze in one go, slamming it on the table once she was finished.
"Haha!" she laughed as Vanessa, Ryusei, Gauche, and Grey cheered, watching her toss it next to nine other empty mugs.
"I think I just found the perfect drinking partner," the thread mage joked as Rouge meowed on her shoulder. "Ten mugs and you don't appear the least bit drunk,"
"That's because I'm not," the void devil stood up and stretched. "I don't know about the rest of my people, but I'm a heavyweight through and through!"
Ryusei slung his arms behind his head. "Ah, there's nothing better than doing something fun after some intense training,"
"Y'know, it's been a good while since we finished our last session. Do you think we should try to get some more practice in today?" Gauche suggested. "After all, our six months are practically up, it won't be long until we start attacking Spade like the guys over at Heart are doing,"
"I agree, but we can't forget that Spade could attack us too," Grey reminded him. "Due to where the hideout is, we're the first line of defense if they come in from this direction; as such, we shouldn't get too hasty and overexhaust ourselves,"
"The strategist/tactician has spoken, we're going to relax some more," Azaela giggled. "C'mon Yuyu, try and see if you can beat my record,"
"Uh, I'll pass on that offer, Zae," he refused with a nervous smile, sitting down. "If I try to drink even half of what you did, the next place I'd find myself is in a ditch while I'm naked,"
"Really? That's kinda specific," the mirror mage asked, raising his brow.
"Well, not that outcome exactly, but I can guarantee that at least something bad would happen," he clarified.
The otherworldly being slung an arm around him. "You don't need to worry about any of that, even if you were blackout drunk, I'd protect you, I am your partner after all,"
"While I absolutely believe that, I'm still not doing it," he comically removed her arm, garnering laughs.
Vanessa sat down as well, a warm smile forming. "I have to admit, even though you've been here for months, it's kind of surreal getting to be so friendly with a devil of all people. I could've never imagined being in this circumstance a little while ago. I'm glad Kenos gave you two the offer to train with us,"
The transformation mage nodded. "Yeah, especially since all the books about devils portray them as super evil and malicious,"
"And those stories are to be believed to a reasonable degree. I'm a bit of an exception, you'd be hard-pressed to find a devil that could behave cordially like me," she said back.
Gauche rested his chin on his palm. "Now that you mention them, I wonder how Asta's devil would act? Sure, we've never seen him or spoken to him, but Asta's never expressed any problems surrounding their connection. Maybe he's like you?"
Azaela shrugged. "Probably. He can't exist in the world like I can, so I guess we'll never know,"
And then, just as she finished saying that, a familiar portal spawned some feet away as the swordsman they were talking about emerged, followed by Zuka and Finral.
"You guys are back!" the others greeted them, the devil deciding it was time to return into her portal.
"Yup, and we brought back gifts," Asta revealed a sack, placing it on the table. "It's fruit from the Heart Kingdom,"
That got Ryusei's attention as he scoured through it, pulling out a plump mango. "So this is the famous fruit you guys talked about in your letters? The stuff that makes Charmy go on a rampage on a regular basis?"
"Don't remind me,"
"I'm back too!" the sparkle mage gave each person a quick hug.
"You look happy," Vanessa smirked. "Did seeing your precious Kenos help?"
The teen blushed with a smile on her face. "Well duh, seeing my Sunshine always brightens my day. He's even planning to surprise me later for a date at a nice Heart Kingdom restaurant,"
"Is that so? He's such a great boyfriend, and since you're a great girlfriend, you should plan a surprise for him too,"
"Did you have something in mind?"
"Just a little idea. Since you both are young and all, it wouldn't be a bad time for you two to start, y'know…experimenting. I may or may not have some matching bunny cosplay for you both at the ready in case-,"
"Vanessa," Zuka cut her off with a deadpan. "You know I love you, but there's no way that's happening,"
The black bull sighed. "Well, you can't blame a girl for trying," the blue and magenta-haired girl sighed too, but out of exasperation. Regardless, there was a small smile present.
"All joking aside, it's nice to know you and Kenos are progressing well in your relationship. I'm happy for you," the dragon mage commented. "How is he and Alice doing over there?"
"Perfectly fine,"
"I'd better head out now," Finral spoke up. "I dropped off Charlotte and Rill before coming here for, I'll go wait for when the meeting is over so I can bring Captain Yami back as soon as possible, then the three of us are going back to Heart,"
"Alright, cya then," Asta waved him goodbye before he was out of sight. "It's been a while since I've been at HQ. Where are the others?"
"Well, Gordon is at his house studying with his Dad, Henry is sleeping in his room to conserve energy since most of us are gone," Grey began answering.
"What about Magna?" he then asked with a little intrigue.
"I don't know," Gauche shrugged. "Ever since you told us about how he bombed his Mana Method test, I personally haven't seen him around, and it's the same deal for Zora as of late. Who knows, maybe they're training together?"
Zuka tapped her chin. "Zora and Magna? That's certainly an unexpected duo, but I guess only time will tell regarding their progress,"
The magicless mage nodded as he found somewhere to sit. "Finral won't be back for some time, so why don't I tell you guys about today's mission? It was really cool, it started when I-,"
He didn't get another word in as Henry's voice was heard, the recombination mage saying something he'd never once said since the establishment of the squad.
"Weeee haavvveee aannnn inntttrruuddeeerrrr!"
Every single person stood up in shock. "An intruder?!"
"That can't be," Gauche walked over to the nearest window and took a peek outside, just for his eyes to widen. "Holy shit,"
"What's the matter?" Zuka asked with concern.
"The hideout…it's floating,"
"Say what?!" the others were in disbelief, but as each of them looked out of the windows around the room, the teen's words were confirmed and that the entire building was indeed multiple feet off the ground.
"Who's causing it?" Ryusei inquired.
"My guess is that guy over there," Gauche pointed. The group converged with him, spotting a man floating across from the building. "He's too far away for me to tell who he is though,"
"Does that really matter?" Zuka crossed her arms. "He's obviously being hostile, Henry even identified him as an intruder. I say we attack now before he has a chance to do anything,"
"I'm with her," Asta agreed. "Henry! Get ready to attack!"
From his room, the man nodded. "Alright then! Recombination Magic: The Raging Black Bull!" he exclaimed in his mind as the base transformed.
"If this guy can lift our whole hideout without breaking a sweat, we need to bring our A-game," Gauche took out his grimoire and closed his eyes, extending his arms and taking some deep breaths before opening them. "Henry, follow my lead!" he exclaimed before declaring his attack.
"Mirror Magic - Mana Charge: Large Reflect Refrain!"
"Recombination Magic: Mana Rocket Punch!"
In an instant, mirrors littered the sky, a powerful beam bouncing between them as they neared the opponent; at the same time, the transformed base lifted its arm and shot its fist at high speed.
Dante wasn't worried. "Gravity Magic: Presence of the Demon King!" he extended a hand as the downward force of the area increased tenfold, weighing the fist and the mirrors down. However, he wasn't completely out of the woods as one last beam of purple light had enough strength to stay on course, forcing him to dodge it. "That was pretty interesting. It appears that Yami Sukehiro's subordinates aren't pushovers. I'm not sensing him, so he must not be here yet, oh well, I'll just have some fun with his knights in the meantime,"
Vanessa observed how the nearby trees all collapsed under the pressure of his spell. "Don't worry, everyone, Rouge will keep us safe,"
"We can't just stay in here, I'm heading out there! Slayer!" Asta called on his first sword, opening the door before jumping on it and flying toward the foe. "Hey, you!"
"At last, someone comes out to meet me,"
"I don't know why you're here, but if you know what's good for you, you'd better scram!"
Dante crossed his arms. "Why would I leave when I just got here?" he asked rhetorically, sporting a confident grin.
"Have it your way then! Anti-Magic: Black Slash!" he fired a pair.
"Hm, let's send those down too," the man extended his hand and increased the gravity, but to his surprise, they were unaffected, forcing him to dodge both. "Another interesting move, but there's something strange about you. I'm not sensing any magic from your person, do you not have any?"
"So what if I don't?!" he fired back, launching more slashes.
He continued to evade them. "If you don't have magic, yet you're doing all that, your power must be classed as Arcane. I didn't know there was another here besides Yami,"
That got the swordsman's attention fast. "What do you want with the Captain?!"
"It's none of your concern," Dante waved a hand, deploying multiple broken trees from around, each piercing Asta with blinding speed. "You won't die, but you will be gravely injured,"
However, as if his own eyes were playing tricks on him, the impaled combatant wasn't where he last saw him, instead, he was a few feet above it, now sporting a scarlet cat on his shoulder.
"Thanks, buddy," Asta said, now rushing at full speed.
The gravity mage kept his gaze on the feline. "That cat is a spell, I can sense it. It can either manipulate probability or fate itself. Granted, what's more important is figuring out who it belongs to," he opted to dodge the teen another time, positioning his body into a casual single-legged dropkick before the force rocketed him forward, crashing into the wall.
The knights who were inside all gasped at how quick they had become the target, but Vanessa would be damned if she let any harm come to them. "Rouge, return to me!" she called out, the cat unraveling atop Asta and coming back together on her shoulder.
"So, you're the owner of that cat? It makes sense, you're wearing the same colors," he mused.
"Stay away from them!" the magicless mage rushed his way, but just before he could make it, the man snapped his fingers, the gravity around him increasing as he plummeted.
"Oh no!" the thread mage worryingly thought.
"That magic of yours appears to be Arcane as well, not to mention you're very stunning. I'm Dante Zogratis of the Dark Triad, pleased to make your acquaintance,"
"The Dark Triad?" she repeated with confusion.
"Yes, we're the ones in charge of the Spade Kingdom," he explained, putting everyone on edge immediately. "But enough of that. You," he pointed at Vanessa. "You're going to be my woman,"
"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Zuka stood protectively in front of her friend. "You can't just claim people like that! That's not how relationships work!"
Dante looked at her with disinterest. "There's no need for you to lie to yourself. The only reason you're saying that is because I didn't pick you to be my woman instead. Sorry, I'm not into kids,"
The sparkle mage was fuming. "Excuse me?! I have a boyfriend!"
"I'm sure you do," he retorted before Asta appeared behind him, transformed.
"So, you're part of the Dark Triad, huh?!"
The gravity mage chose not to stay in the vulnerable position, flying outside as the teen flew after him. "Now there's something I wasn't expecting. Clover has a devil host as well, splendid!"
"Anti-Magic: Demon Slayer Sword - Black Divider!" he first sword expanded as he swung it with extreme force, but Dante assumed the high ground, evading the attack entirely. "Let's see how you like this then, Anti-Magic: Black Meteorite!"
Black energy enveloped him as he increased in speed, unfortunately, that move wouldn't work either as he swayed to the side, shocking him. "That's impossible, the spell is supposed to follow you!"
"Was it? Well, it doesn't matter, I simply manipulated the gravity around me to warp space on a small scale," the enemy explained.
"Gravity Magic can do that?!"
"Of course it can. This attribute is capable of a lot, you just have to be creative with it,"
Zuka stood close to the recently made hole. "We can't just stand here and let Asta fight that asshole alone," her grimoire flipped to a page. "Sparkle Creation Magic: Shining Battle Garment!" she assumed her transformation and jumped at a 45-degree angle. She waved her sleeve below as glitter condensed into a platform for her to stand on.
Ryusei couldn't sit back either. "I need to get into the action as well. Zae, are you ready?" he was about to jump out of the hole as well, but he paused upon not getting a usual answer from her. "Azaela?"
Zuka's grimoire flipped to a different page. "Asta, move out of the way! Sparkle Magic: Glittering Star Shower!" she exclaimed. The swordsman obeyed her as silver stars began falling toward Dante.
"Is that all you can do? Pathetic," he responded, raising a hand above his head as he removed the gravity in that area, the stars flying up instead and crashing into one another, exploding in the sky.
Despite the impressive counterattack, the aqua deer wasn't intimidated. "You want to see what I can do? Fine, I'll show you something new. Thanks for teaching me this, Captain Yami,"
"Sparkle Creation Magic - Mana Zone…," the girl began, creating her trusty long-ranged weapon. However, as she pulled on the bowstring, not only did an arrow appear like it usually did, but ten glittering orbs spawned on her left and right sides.
"...Shimmering Bow - Crisis Spread!" she released it as twenty-one projectiles fired all at once, the additional ones curving as they neared the opponent, so by the time they were close, there was one coming from every conceivable direction.
"You call this any better? Adding Mana Zone was a nice touch, but it doesn't do anything," he mocked her further before using the same strategy, the shots now racing upwards.
"Are you sure about that?!" Asta outpaced the arrows, expanding the Divider before redirecting all the shots back at their intended target.
Dante's grimoire flipped to a page. "Gravity Magic: Evil God's Pressure Craft!" he levitated a large boulder above him, shaping it into a shield as it took the attacks without faltering.
"Oh c'mon, that didn't work either!" the transformed sparkle mage fumed.
"Don't worry, there are two of us and one of him, he's bound to slip up, we just have to keep adding pressure!" Asta reassured her as they both went on the offense.
However, as Gauche ascended onto the roof of the hideout, he could see that it wasn't looking good for his friends, but that was okay, he had a solution. "If one of the big bads chose to be a dumbass and attack us directly, we'd be just as dumb if we didn't do everything we could to take them out. If we can kill this guy, then our chances of winning will skyrocket," he pushed up his bangs. "Asta! Zuka! Look into my eye!"
Both commoners did as they were told. "I've been training to make this item stronger, and now you'll see its power! Mirror Magic: Double Mirror Brigade!" he declared as two sets of clones formed, resulting in thirty Astas and thirty Zukas.
"Now we're talking!" all of the swordsmen cheered as they flew at Dante from the front, becoming flashes of black. "Anti-Magic - Union Enhancement: Mirror Meteorites!"
At the same time, the girls readied their strongest spell. "See if you can divert this! Sparkle Creation Magic - Union Enhancement: Scintillating Aurora - Hellzone!" the attacks were aimed behind the triad member.
Gauche's magic eye flared as he smirked. "Now he's surrounded, the attacks are too strong and are coming too fast, there's no way he'll survive," he said, and he was right.
Sort of.
If this was any other mage, the combo would've destroyed them without issue while leaving no remains, but this wasn't just any other mage, this was a man who would be able to turn the tides back in his favor with ease, and all he had to do was get serious and say three words.
"Devil Power: 50%,"
Demonic magic surged around Dante as he spawned a pair of wings and horns, the marking on his forehead expanding, and his eyes taking on a red color. Like before, he began to warp space around him, but this time, he did it on a grander scale, changing the trajectory of the beams and the clones so that they'd hit each other; each Asta would negate the beam just after getting vaporized by it, the cycle continuing until all that was left on Zuka's end was the attack from the original, one Dante easily dodged. As for the original swordsman, he'd get rougher treatment as the gravity mage placed a foot on his shoulder and crashed into the ground, forming a crater underneath. In fact, the pressure was so strong that it forcefully closed his grimoire.
"No way, he actually stopped that," Gauche undid the spell and dropped to one knee from the strain, the additional sparkle mages vanishing.
Dante emulated his younger brother's style and kept his hands in his pockets. "Your name's Asta, correct? Relax, I just wish to talk, we're both devil hosts, we should be able to reach some common ground,"
"Shit. Don't worry, I'm on my way!" Zuka leaped off her platform, landing on the ground before running toward him as fast as her legs would take her.
However, Dante looked at her with the same lack of amusement he had previously. "You possess no special qualities, as such, I've become bored with you," he said, calling on someone for the first time since the start. "Vivian, take care of the girl!"
The mirror mage raised a brow in confusion. "Vivian? Who the hell is that? He's been on his own this whole time, there's no one to call," he was saying, but he was quickly proven wrong as a shadow moved behind him. He turned his head and saw her, a woman on the roof along with him, hiding elsewhere, but no longer as she now stood on one of the horns.
"Dang it, I have to stop her, but that last move along with using Mana Charge took a lot out of me,"
"Consider it done!" she took out her grimoire. "Weaponry Magic: Whip Series - Yeoui!" a brown and green whip appeared in her hand before she launched it, the object extending to a ridiculous length as it wrapped itself around Zuka's wrist.
"What the?"
"And away you go!" the protege enhanced her strength and spun around, taking the aqua deer for the ride before letting go, launching her behind the base and into the woods beyond.
"AHHHHHHH!" she screamed, but that wasn't the end of it as Vivian's legs charged with mana and she took off after her.
"No, Zuka!" Asta screamed, just to grunt as more pressure was put on him.
"You shouldn't be worried about her," Dante chided him.
"And what exactly should I be worried about then?! This little talk you want to have?!" the boy was defiant. "There's nothing for us to talk about, and there's definitely no common ground we share! You're a heartless bastard who doesn't care about your own people! You subject them to torture and treat them like objects to be used and thrown away! And that's not even mentioning this entire war you started, putting the entire continent in danger! I would never-,"
In the middle of Asta's counter, a sound cut him off, something he would've never expected to hear given the circumstances. "Are you…laughing?"
"Of course I am. How could I not when you're complimenting me so much?"
Asta's eyes widened with a touch of fear. "C-Complimenting?"
"Indeed. All the things you say I've done are true, and doing so means I'm truly human," he replied.
"Truly human? What are you babbling about?!"
"I'm merely telling the truth," he raised a fist to eye-level and clenched it. "Jealousy, anger, hatred, depravity, and malice. Humanity is inherently sinful, as such, it's when we give into our darkest urges that we become truly human,"
"No, it's not. We're not naturally evil," Asta retorted.
"There's no need to lie to yourself. Deep down, we're all evil, even the elves knew that after they reincarnated and yet, for whatever reason, you tried to refute them,"
That sentence made him gasp. "H-How did you know about the elves?! They never attacked Spade!"
Dante chuckled as if his opponent had said something ridiculous. "How do I know? Do you really think that word of a group of people trying to commit mass genocide of the entire human race wouldn't spread? Yes, that's the reason, or…maybe I'm lying to have fun deceiving you,"
"Ugh, fine, don't tell me the truth, but you're still wrong!" Asta declared, struggling to raise his head higher. "Yeah, we all have dark thoughts and think about doing bad things, I'm no exception, but it's not by giving in to them that makes us who we are. Rather, it's by rising above them and doing what's right in spite of our evil urges that define us, that's what it means to be human!"
The gravity mage raised his brow. "Hm, that's certainly the most interesting answer I've ever heard, stupid and nonsensical, but interesting nonetheless. Regardless, an answer like that will cost you," he was about to increase the pressure, but that's when his ears registered meowing, and there Rouge was, standing on the magicless mage's back.
"Oh, it's you again, you won't stop me this time. Devil Power: 60%!" his form underwent slight changes as the feline came undone. He then turned his head to the base, staring at Vanessa. "You shouldn't have done that. Don't forget, you're my woman. You dare try and protect somebody else, you bad girl,"
The thread mage dropped to a knee from a mix of fear and exhaustion. "Damn it, he made me expend all my mana, Asta's all on his own,"
Ryusei grit his teeth. "Azaela, c'mon! Can you hear me?!" he yelled at his grimoire, and at last, he got an answer in his mind.
"I'm here," she said.
The dragon mage's frustration vanished upon hearing the tone of her voice, she was on edge. "Is everything alright?"
"Y-Yeah, sorry about that. My mind was…somewhere else,"
Her partner punched his palm. "It's alright. What matters now is that we can get in on the fight! Devil Power: 50%!" he exclaimed as he powered up before flying out of the hole. "Stop right there!"
Dante perked up, his eyes widening momentarily before he jumped back, making sure to maintain the gravity that kept Asta pinned.
"Void Magic: Lama Mietitrice!" Ryusei landed before firing the slash of magic from his hand, but the man limboed to get around it. Rather than being frustrated at being interrupted, he was ecstatic.
"Do the surprises never stop with this mission? There's a second devil host here?"
"That appears to be the case," the demonic dragon mage absent-mindedly responded to his observation, heading over to Asta. "I'll help you up, we can fight him together,"
Alas, when he tried, it felt like he was trying to lift up an entire building, garnering a laugh from Dante. "You're wasting your energy, he'll stay like that until I'm defeated,"
The younger devil host stood up and looked him dead in the eye. "Then I guess I'm going to defeat you," his grimoire flipped to a page. "Dragon Magic: Spiral Demolition!"
This time, Dante opted to stand still as the attack neared, but before it could touch him, he warped the space around himself, diverting it elsewhere, making the teen narrow his eyes. "Fine then, it looks like I'll have to get up close and personal,"
"That won't work either, but please, feel free to try,"
"You asked for it!" he spread out his wings and flew up, moving to a higher vantage point, joining his hands and raising them above his head. "Dragon Magic: Grand Dragon Smash!" he exclaimed, unsure how the altercation would conclude, but he had to try.
And then…something happened.
Right as he was inches away, right as his foe was preparing to counter, dark wisps emanated from Dante's demonic appendages, growing and spiraling around the two, becoming a dark orb.
"What the?" Asta and Gauche gasped.
They weren't the only ones. "How did that happen?" Grey asked.
"You're asking the wrong person, sweetheart," Vanessa answered, looking concerned.
.
.
"Where am I?" Ryusei wondered aloud as he found himself floating in an empty space, staring at his hands to check for signs, just to notice they returned to their default color. "My transformation, it came undone! But how?!"
"Relax, it hasn't come undone, you simply aren't in your physical body," a calm voice spoke from above, the noble gazing up at Dante, also out of his devil form.
"What are you talking about?!"
"He's right, we're in a mental space," Azaela appeared beside him, her arms crossed.
The triad member held his chin as he looked at her. "So, that's your devil partner? I must say, she's very beautiful,"
Ryusei wasted no time extending his right arm in front of her. "That's right, she is, and you'll keep your grimy hands away from her if you know what's good for you, now talk! Why did you bring us here?!"
"Don't be confused, I wasn't the one who did this,"
"Then who was it?"
"That…would be me," the answer came from behind Dante as darkness coalesced and grew, taking the form of a silhouette behind him, its most notable features being its quartet of wings and horns, along with what could be assumed to be long hair.
"I met your devil, so it's time you met mine: Lucifero, the king of all devils," the mage from Spade introduced him in a grandiose fashion.
"Yes, and as the king, I can bring others into this mental space just as long as I can encase them in my sphere," he explained.
"Even if you are the king, I'm not afraid of you!" Ryusei was defiant, pointing up at him. "Now, tell us why you did this!"
Dante side-eyed his partner. "I must be honest, I too am curious as to why you did this,"
"The reason is simple, I merely wished to say hello to someone I haven't seen in a very long time," Lucifero replied, raising a finger and pointing at the person in question. "Isn't that right…,"
.
.
.
.
.
"...Baby sister?"
Ryusei's eyes widened as none other than Azaela was the one being pointed at, his mind instantly putting two and two together. "W-Wait a minute, y-you mean to tell me that he's-,"
His partner finished it for him. "ISCARIOT!"
Lucifero could only chuckle. "Ah, it's been so long since I've heard that nickname. See, I don't have a problem with being called something else,"
"It's not supposed to be a nickname, it's supposed to be an insult, because I know who you really are!" she pointed at her brother.
His silhouette shrugged. "And? What does that matter? The past is the past. Granted, one thing that can't be forgotten is your usefulness, although we're in a mental space, once we leave, I'll be able to take control of you for my plan,"
"Ha, that's where you're wrong, Iscariot," his sister snickered. "When I became Yuyu's partner, he gave me the idea to learn how to keep the void surge I used against 500 years ago passively active, you won't be able to control me,"
"For now, at least. In the meantime," the devil's eyes fell on the dragon mage. "This is the boy you're contracted with? Let's give him a look," his white eyes glowed brighter, but not even a few seconds passed before he spoke again. "What is this?! He has an affinity of zero?!"
Dante couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?! Why would you select such a weakling?!"
The void devil side-eyed the kaiyo, noticing that while he didn't appear bothered, his fist was clenched tightly. "You want to know why I picked him? Because he's a good friend and he's got a good heart!" she yelled, silencing them. "During those centuries I was hiding away, I dreaded the idea of leaving my seal and being forced to help you destroy everything I loved, but then I met Ryusei. Even though he didn't know me, he listened to me and offered his assistance despite knowing he wasn't gifted, all so that I wouldn't have to keep on being alone. That's why I chose him and that's why I wouldn't pick anyone else,"
Ryusei's fist loosened as a small smile formed on his face. "Thanks,"
Lucifero made a scoffing sound. "You chose him because of sentiment? Very well, do as you wish, you'll come to regret that soon enough. Dante, proceed," he snapped his fingers, sending them back as the sphere receded.
"Woah, that was weird," the crimson-clad knight commented, just for his temporary lack of focus to cost him as Dante came in with a dropkick, launching him into the outer base wall.
"That was a very interesting meeting we just had, but I should get back on track," he flew over and landed in front of Asta, still in the crater. "Apologies for the distraction, my wayward devil host,"
"You shut up! Just watch, I'll find a way out of here!" he roared angrily.
"Not likely, but in the meantime, I've been pondering your take on humanity, and I'd like to put it to the test," he turned around and extended a hand. In an instant, the gravity around the base increased.
Henry was panicking. "This is really bad, I don't have enough mana to keep my spell together!" he thought as the Raging Black Bull finally buckled and fell to its knees.
But that wasn't it. Similarly to what he did to himself and Vivian, the three bulls along with Ryusei began to float as they were pulled from their respective places and brought together, all of them unable to move.
"W-What are you doing?"
"I'm seeing if you were telling the truth. Gravity Magic: Evil God's Pressure Craft!" he shaped a nearby boulder into a huge sword. "You said that doing what's right despite our dark urges is true human nature, so I'm going to send this through one of your friends, and I'll see how you react,"
All the color left Asta's face. "No," he whispered.
"It looks like I'll have to break the no-kill agreement we made with Zenon's protege. Oh well, he'll never notice one measly death," Dante thought. "Now, who will be my target?"
"No,"
"I still have some intrigue in the devil host, so I'll leave him,"
"Please, don't,"
"And I'd be a terrible man if I harmed my woman, so she's safe too,"
"Stop,"
"That leaves you two," his eyes fell on Grey and Gauche. Both mages were terrified.
"Stop it,"
Dante then turned to face Asta, a smug grin present. "Don't disappoint me,"
"STOP IT!"
But it was pointless. The man snapped his fingers and the construct whistled through the air until it pierced someone's flesh…Gauche's flesh.
"No!" the other three screamed, but none were louder than Grey.
As for the magicless mage, he just watched in silence, his vision becoming blurred by tears, however, something else quickly blurred his perception of the world…images. All of a sudden, images flashed through his mind, all ones he didn't recognize, but he couldn't be sure as they were coming and going so fast. However, one stayed for longer…it was of a woman, her face was hidden from view, but not the blood leaking out of her as she spoke with the warmth of a mother.
"Live on, my brave little boy,"
"AHHHHHHH!" all of a sudden, anti-magic surged like never before and Asta got back on his feet, slamming the Slayer with all of his might to try and cut Dante in half, but all it succeeded in was making a massive dust cloud.
The gravity mage lifted himself up in the air with a pleased expression. "Yes, there it is,"
Within the dust, all that could be heard was grunting akin to that of an animal and the faint sound of drool hitting the ground, but as the dust cleared, they all witnessed a horrifying sight. It was of Asta, foaming at the mouth like a madman, three horns on his head, and anti-magic that nearly consumed his whole face along with a tail, the Slayer resting atop his shoulder.
"That's human nature,"
"Die!" Asta growled senselessly as he tried to attack again, just for him to get out of the way again. Granted, there was a slight silver lining as the anti-magic radiating in the vicinity canceled out the gravity binds, the quartet now free-falling.
Ryusei acted quickly and shot magic at the floor. "Grey, change it!"
"Transformation Magic: Magic Conversion - Void to Cotton!" she exclaimed, giving them a soft landing, but as soon as they did, she was by her squadmate's side. "Gauche! Gauche!" she screamed, but he had already passed out from the pain. "We have to do something,"
Vanessa tried to remain as calm as possible, but it was clear from her expression and shaking hands that she was just as panicked. "I…I'm sorry, I don't have a spell for this,"
"N-Neither do I," Ryusei added with a somber tone. "Void magic's healing properties aren't nearly enough to handle a wound that big, although the only bright side to this is that he isn't bleeding out," he then observed the fight, narrowing his eyes. "I'm getting back out there. The faster we beat Dante, the faster we can bring Gauche to Owen,"
"Don't do it," the thread mage tried to dissuade him. "You can see it as clearly as I can, Asta isn't himself right now, and it looks like he can't discern friend from foe, he may end up attacking you, and that would be the worst-case scenario,"
"I…I," he tried to think of a counter, but he couldn't, punching the ground. "Fine, I'll stay here,"
Up in the air, Dante's grin grew wider. "What a shame, I was hoping we could've had a chat after my little test, but it appears you're a bit too busy losing yourself," he mocked him, but then his eyes finally took notice of his third horn, a sight that silenced him. "His Weg has advanced? I wasn't expecting that to happen,"
He extended a hand forward. "Gravity Magic: Presence of the Demon King!" he declared, but Asta wasn't affected at all, zooming right at him.
"Die!"
Dante swerved to the side, opting for a different approach as he launched an array of boulders at him, and in the swordsman's current state, he took the time to fly over and destroy each one rather than go straight for his enemy, something that same enemy noticed and planned to take advantage of.
The man closed his eyes for just a moment, finding himself in his mental space, staring up at his partner's silhouette. "That anti-magic of his sure is a wild card, I've never heard of such a power. Lucifero, do you have any idea who the devil that boy is contracted with is?"
"Not a clue," he answered, stroking his chin. "The only devil I know isn't in Sheva with the rest of us is Zagred the Hero, but it's obviously not him. Be not concerned though, merely having the power to negate magic is incredibly pedestrian, however, his partner is a different story,"
"What do you mean?"
"He may not possess any magic, but unlike that fool my sister chose, this boy is quite gifted, he has an affinity of 50," the devil king remarked.
The triad member looked the tiniest bit impressed. "50? That's only 15 less than my own, but it makes no difference, seeing that his devil is pathetic," he began. "...Speaking of your sister, you never told me you had one. Should I be worried? Even in the hands of the worst kind of devil host, surely the sister of the great Lucifero would have formidable power,"
"We don't need to share everything with one another, but all you need to know about her is this: while the blood that runs in our veins is the same, she is my sister in name only," he replied cryptically.
Dante quickly noticed the oxymoron, but decided not to persist further. "Very well, all it means is that we of the Dark Triad are contracted with the strongest," he said, exiting the space, and just in time as Asta was back on his trail.
"Die! Anti-Magic: Mad Cyclone!" he performed his Black Hurricane, but this one was bigger and wilder, generating wind strong enough to lift broken debris and hurl it at the gravity mage.
Like always, Dante demonstrated no fear or hesitation as he danced around the debris in mid-air. "You keep telling me to die, but I just don't feel like it," he taunted him. "Don't forget, even in this state you're in, you're merely an appetizer for me until the Key gets here,"
While he was talking smack, the foreigner jumped on a broken boulder using it as some extra leverage to establish distance, but as he was in motion, the crazed swordsman prepared his next move. "I'll kill you a hundred times! Anti-Magic…!"
In an instant, he ceased his rotation, muscle memory taking over as he entered the posture for Black Meteorite, but unlike his last attempt, he moved faster than he ever had, landing a strike at his opponent's face.
"Berserk Comet!"
At first, it appeared that his slash was a dud, but after a single second, the vertical cut finally formed on Dante's right cheek, blood already starting to leak out, the man's eyes widening for the first time, but that expression slowly faded, replaced by a dark look amplified by his crimson eyes.
"You dare mark me?"
Asta, however, didn't care, just growling like a maniac as he tried to get a second hit in, but by this point, his enraged opponent was done dodging. "Gravity Magic: Heavy Infighting!"
Once Dante declared his latest spell, he assumed a boxer's stance, his fists inches in front of his face before throwing a gravity-enhanced punch, hitting the black bull dead in the face, launching him a mile away, forming a crater upon impact with the ground.
"Asta!" the others exclaimed.
But the magicless mage wasn't out yet, he was already back on his feet, crouching his legs before taking off again. "Die!" he reeled the Slayer back horizontally.
Unlike his last response, Dante didn't assume a stance, he just kept his hands at his sides as the distance closed, but once Asta was close enough to strike, he increased the gravity around himself, sinking a few feet down to avoid the attack, just to decrease the force immediately afterwards, shooting himself up as he threw an uppercut.
"You think you can mark me and get away with it?!" he let loose a barrage of punches, ending with a vertical spin into a heel kick to send Asta plummeting, his transformation coming undone at last as he landed harshly, falling unconscious.
Dante landed some yards away from him. "Not bad, that was mildly entertaining. Don't you see how amazing it is when you embrace your humanity?"
"Void Magic: Black Impulse!"
The man's eyes darted to the left just in time to see Ryusei flying his way at top speed, an attack ready to go, but it wouldn't work as Dante levitated a boulder right in front of the teen, his spell destroying it instead. From there, the gravity used that chance to blitz forward and throw a punch, the demonic dragon mage having no time to do anything else but cross his arms and brace himself.
Ryusei grunted from the immense pain he was feeling in his arms as his body was flying back, but he managed to use his wings to eventually halt his movement. "Lucky shot!" he spat.
Dante raised a brow and smirked. "You don't sound very happy,"
"Shut up! You hurt Gauche! You hurt Asta! And that asshole you call a partner hurt Zae! I promised her that I'd help her put an end to Iscariot, so I'll deliver on that promise, and you can join him!" he bent his legs, the ground cracking under the pressure as he rushed at him. "Void Magic: Braccia Del Mietitore!" both fists lit up as the space between soon became a mere two feet.
"I'll kill you both!" the teen roared, throwing punch after punch, however, Dante returned to weaving, his expression growing more and more pleased.
"Yes, that's it, let your rage boil over, embrace your humanity!" he urged him to continue, but rather than doing so, he flew back. "What's the matter?"
Upon landing fifteen meters away from his enemy, the noble began to take some deep breaths, tightening and loosening his fists. "...No, I absolutely refuse to give you any satisfaction. My captain always told us about the benefits of a cool head. I won't take you down with senseless rage, but with righteous fury!"
"And how exactly do you plan to beat me?"
"By going all-out, I'll demonstrate the culmination of my training. Over these past few months, I've pushed myself harder than I ever had before. Sometimes, I'd train from sunrise to sundown, all so I could reach the level I'm at now," Ryusei replied before exclaiming three words triumphantly
"Devil Power: 66%!" his form underwent minor changes as he beheld his new state. "And I'm not done yet either!"
In a rare sight for even the kaiyo himself, he summoned both of his aces, and as that happened, his grimoire flipped to its most recent page. "This is the end for you! L-Drago, Erebus, join forces!" he flew faster than before, a fist outstretched as the pair of creatures flew at his sides, both beginning to glow white.
He was ready.
"Dragon x Void Magic: Dragon Emperor Genesis Eclipse!" the two overlapped completely, turning snow white and translucent, joining its caster to amplify his punch. This was it, all his effort and labor had gone into creating this ultimate attack, and today, it would claim its first victim, forming a massive dust cloud upon impact.
"Yes, a direct hit! I did it!" he thought ecstatically, but as the dust cleared…his joy vanished instantly. His fist pressed against Dante's chest, not a single wound present; all there was was slight evidence of the man being pushed back and a hole in his attire from where the attack struck.
"N-No way, that's not possible, you should be dead,"
"Why would I die against a mage who's weaker than me?" Dante asked in a mocking tone, allowing his fellow devil possessed to stumble back in shock.
"B-But…that's my strongest spell,"
"And against a weaker opponent, it would've succeeded. Unfortunately for you, that's not me. You said earlier that you were going all-out, so is 66% the highest you can go? I think you need to see what that kind of power really looks like," he grinned. "Devil Power: 66%!"
His appearance underwent no changes, but that didn't matter to him as he was now in front of Ryusei. "What the? I didn't even see him move," the teen thought, not even having time to protect himself as he took a punch to the gut, all the air rushing out of his lungs.
Dante watched in amusement as he slowly sank to the ground, writing in pain. "C'mon, I wasn't even trying that hard. Get up, you said you'd defeat me, right…Yuyu?"
The knight's eyes flared with anger as he rose to his feet, recklessly doing a wide swing. "Don't call me that!" he yelled, just to pay for it as the man parried it and punched him again. This time, more than air left his body as the patch of ground beneath him was painted in vomit.
A coughing fit ensued before Ryusei found the strength to stand again. "Void Magic: Richiamo-," he was cut off by Dante closing the distance, not to punch him, but to slap him with the back of his hand, his face indifferent.
"I was intrigued with you at first, but now you're starting to bore me," he said, launching slap after slap, each enhanced with gravity magic so the man could put as little effort into it as possible. With each hit that landed, Ryusei stumbled back, the man walking forward to repeat the cycle; at this point, the dragon mage's face was covered in bruises, his eyes stinging with sweat. It wouldn't be long until he lost consciousness, so Dante dealt the finishing blow.
"Gravity Magic: Heavy Infighting!" he threw a single punch, sending the teen flying into the wall of the base, his body landing with a thud as his form came undone, and like clockwork, the spade mage's shadow loomed over him.
"What a disappointment, you're a disgrace to all devil hosts," the utmost disgust laced his voice as he spit on his head, leaving him as his eyes were now on Vanessa, who was just a few yards away. "As for you, the Key still hasn't arrived, so I have time to kill. Why don't the two of us get to know each other better? I'll warn you though, I do my best bonding shirtless,"
Even though she knew she couldn't beat him, the witch stood up in defiance. "Be quiet! No one here will ever submit to you, least of all me!"
"My, such fire, I like that in my women," he began to advance, but before he could take another step, a slash of magic came in between them.
"Hey…," an imposing voice bellowed from above, all conscious eyes turning in its direction, and there they saw Yami, standing on thin air, Finral beside him, his upper half sticking out of his portal. With his katana drawn and a cigarette in his mouth, the dark mage glared at the interloper.
"...What do you think you're doing to my crew?"