Death is merely a state of peace that humans reach after a lifetime of relentless struggle—or so they believe.
Bell's entrance strikes with devastating force, ending the life of one of our companions in a single, heart-stopping blow. Dante clutches Elena's body, desperately trying to heal her gaping wound.
DANTE HERALDI: (Sobbing uncontrollably) No... NO! Please, don't leave me! QUETZALCÓATL, HELP ME! Hold on, Elena... don't go!
Quetzalcóatl instantly transforms, surging forward to assist. Seeing her advance, Bell moves to intercept and strike her down, but Azrael grabs his arm. Sliding past them, Quetzalcóatl reaches Elena's side and immediately pours her divine energy into the wound.
AZRAEL: Wretch... You have caused far too much ruin already!
BELL: Heh... How cute. How are Michael and the rest of the boys holding up?
AZRAEL: Do not dare speak his name!
Azrael unleashes a barrage of strikes, but Bell dodges each blow effortlessly, mocking him mid-combat.
BELL: (Dodging) What's the matter? Feeling a bit weak? Hahahahaha!
AZRAEL: (Striking relentlessly) Damn it... Why is my power so drained?!
BELL: (Evading) What? Don't you remember the divine laws? Oh, right... You were far too young when they were decreed. Let me educate you: within this hell, all abilities are suppressed to a quarter of their original output. That includes archangels, hahaha!
Azrael freezes mid-motion.
AZRAEL: What...? To what end?!
BELL: What? Michael didn't tell you anything? Well, no matter! Keep fighting! Hahahahaha!
Azrael repels Bell toward the sky, and a sequence of violent aerial detonations illuminates the clouds. Down on the stone summit, Dante and Quetzalcóatl frantically work over Elena's broken body.
DANTE HERALDI: (Desperate) No... please, Elena, wake up! Why isn't the damn wound closing?! Quetzalcóatl, are you out of energy or what?!
QUETZALCÓATL: (Panicked) CALM DOWN! Screaming at me won't fix this! I don't know why, but the wound refuses to seal!
Elena forces her eyes open. Shock and a fleeting glimmer of relief wash over the group.
DANTE HERALDI: (Tears streaming down his face) Elena... my love! Thank god you're conscious! Please, heal yourself too—you can do it! Help us save you! Please don't leave me, I'm begging you!
REX: (Grief-stricken) Elena... you can do this!
MALEKIN: (Tearful) Come on, woman, you're strong! Don't give up!
ISAMU: Elena...
QUETZALCÓATL: (Sobbing) Come on, my friend, don't give up! Just give us a little help! Where is that unwavering determination you showed against those demons?! DON'T GIVE UP!
From nearby, Mictlantekuti's raspy voice cuts through the anguish.
MICTLANTEKUTI: It is useless... She is going to die! Hahahahaha!
DANTE snaps his head toward the chained god, glaring with a glare so terrifyingly cold that the God of the Dead feels true terror for the very first time.
DANTE HERALDI: (Sobbing) SHUT UP! One more word, and I swear to God—
Elena feebly lifts her hand, reaching toward Dante's cheek. Sensing her movement, Dante catches her trembling hand, pressing it against his face as his voice cracks in absolute despair.
DANTE HERALDI: My love... please... don't go... Please... I need you... I don't know what I'll do without you...
Elena gazes into Dante's eyes through her tears, offering him one last gentle smile. She whispers a faint farewell... and draws her final breath.
Her hand loses all strength, slipping from his cheek and limp onto the stone floor. Dante sits frozen in stunned disbelief, tears streaming down his face as an eerie silence falls over the summit. Quetzalcóatl turns away, weeping silently; Rex collapses onto the stone ground, whimpering in grief; Malekin averts his eyes as tears roll down his massive face; and Isamu stands in solemn, motionless silence.
MICTLANTEKUTI: Wahahahahahaha! That bitch is finally dead! She was so damn annoying—finally, one less obstacle!
Everyone turns to glare at MICTLANTEKUTI, who continues laughing hysterically like a maniac. Meanwhile, a terrifying, sinister aura envelops DANTE as he forces himself up, gently laying ELENA's body onto the stone floor. The monstrous aura begins to overflow, casting violent shockwaves that force everyone to shield their eyes. MICTLANTEKUTI shuts his mouth instantly, frozen by the sudden burst of overwhelming energy...
Tears stream down DANTE's face as he clenches his fists until his knuckles turn white.
DANTE HERALDI: (Furious, tears falling) You... you bastards... I will never forgive you... I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!
QUETZALCÓATL: (Nervous) Hey... Dante... calm down...
DANTE clutches his head in absolute anguish.
DANTE HERALDI: CALM DOWN?! NO... NO, NO, NO! (Gazing down at Elena) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A tremendous explosion of raw dark energy detonates across the summit, blasting everyone backward several meters while ELENA's body remains untouched at DANTE's feet. As DANTE roars in agony, dark energy surges outward in every direction, fracturing the stone foundation. The rising energy column stretches into the upper atmosphere where AZRAEL and BELL are locked in combat, forcing both entities to freeze in their tracks.
BELL: Hahahahaha! The bastard finally snapped! All it took was a little push!
AZRAEL: What in the holy... Forgive me, but what on earth is happening down there?!
BELL: Come on, choir boy, sometimes it's good to blow off steam! Your precious Daddy isn't watching down here anyway!
AZRAEL: Shut your damn mouth! What have you done?!
BELL: HA! You see? Nothing at all! I just gave him the precise nudge he needed. Now we just sit back and wait... and I will be free very soon, he-he-he-he.
Down below, as DANTE expels the violent dark energy with a cry of pure suffering, the party stands paralyzed in awe. In that exact instant, a cold sweat breaks out across MICTLANTEKUTI's back—a sickening dread that causes his knees to tremble uncontrollably.
MICTLANTEKUTI: (Sweating, in his mind) What is this...? I feel something strange... something I have never felt in my entire existence... What is this?! It can't be... Am I... am I...? (Dante turns, fixing him with glowing, solid-yellow eyes) ...AM I AFRAID?!
MICTLANTEKUTI is consumed by terror—for the very first time in his divine existence, the God of the Dead feels true fear.
Yet before the main event can unleash, time grinds to a complete halt around DANTE. A familiar, echoing voice resonates directly inside his mind.
*******: HELLO, Dante. It has been a long time... The hour for your final trial has arrived.
DANTE blinks, and in that split second, his surroundings shift entirely. He stands amidst rolling desert dunes, endless ocean waves of sand stretching out beneath his boots in every direction.
DANTE HERALDI: (Shocked) Where the hell am I?! Damn it... you again?!
Standing directly before DANTE is his alter ego—his inner dark self—yet his physical form has mutated entirely. He now appears as a muscular humanoid entity with sweeping horns, long raven hair, crimson skin, and a thick tail ending in a sharp point, wearing only tattered trousers. Yet beneath the demonic traits, he still bears DANTE's exact facial features.
*******: Heh, good to see you too. Truth be told, I hoped this day would never come. But as I told you before... this is your final trial.
DANTE HERALDI: Do you think I have time for your damn games right now?! Did you not see what just happened out there?!
*******: Yes, I saw everything. That is precisely why this is the perfect moment for you to earn all of my power. This is the absolute final test. If you beat me this time, I will give you everything I am—even my true name.
DANTE HERALDI: I am in no mood for this... Set me free!
*******: Oh? Do you honestly think you have a choice here? Hahaha! Fool... now, let us begin!
In a fraction of a second, ******* materializes directly behind DANTE, delivering a casual backhand that sends him flying across the desert, skipping along the sand dunes like a stone. DANTE pushes himself up, coughing up sand, stunned by *******'s absurd physical strength. Forcing himself back onto his feet, he frantically scans his surroundings.
DANTE HERALDI: Where the hell are you?! I don't have time for this!
*******'s voice echoes through the vast expanse, impossible to pinpoint.
*******: Relax... time is the one thing we have in abundance here. In this realm, time does not exist. Besides, if I win, you won't be needing time anyway... you won't have anything left to do.
Desperate, DANTE activates his perception aura, only to be struck from beneath the sand by a rising uppercut that shatters his stance. Before he can recover, a spinning kick drives him hard into the dune. A brutal stomp to his ribs forces him back up into a relentless barrage of heavy punches. DANTE raises his arms, desperately blocking and absorbing the onslaught, unable to find an opening to counter.
*******: (Annoyed) Hey, you piece of shit! Why are you only blocking?! Why aren't you attacking?!
A violent blow crashes DANTE onto the sand. ******* slowly walks toward his fallen form.
DANTE HERALDI: (Grief-stricken) What's the point...? She's gone. I don't care anymore. Just finish me off and kill everyone else too.
*******: (Furious) Do you think this is funny?! I put in so much effort just to be able to fight you! Don't you remember what I told you?! This was already written—you were destined to suffer, and it's all because of that damn BELL, who deceives everyone! But I see you've already given up. Beating you like this isn't even satisfying... Damn it... Umm, wait a second. What if I told you that if you beat me, my power will help you slaughter that bastard named BELL? What would you say then?
DANTE's eyes snap open in shock. Slowly, he forces himself back onto his feet.
DANTE HERALDI: (Cold and resolute) I don't know why you care so much about this, but thanks to you... I finally have a reason to keep fighting. Just to tear that bastard apart.
*******: Yeah! That's what I was waiting to hear!
A savage brawl erupts across the desert. Both combatants exchange brutal blows, each impact generating thunderous sonic booms that hurl massive waves of sand into the sky.
After several relentless exchanges, DANTE triggers Dark Cloak and Wolf Speed. Attempting to activate Domination, he realizes the ability is completely sealed. He leaps backward, creating distance as the two lock eyes.
*******: Idiot! That power is mine, and I'm right here! Khahaha! Now you'll see!
DANTE HERALDI: I have more than just that.
DANTE triggers Wrath. A surge of physical power floods his body as he realizes the skill has leveled up mid-combat, granting an unprecedented stat multiplier. *******'s jaw drops before his brow furrows in sheer irritation.
*******: Curse it all... A Sin manifested within you! That damned Lord of the Abyzz took notice of you!
DANTE HERALDI: I thought you knew everything about me.
*******: I was spending all my time gathering energy, so I didn't pay close attention to you! I never expected you to grow this strong—I miscalculated!
DANTE HERALDI: A shame... because I kept pushing forward.
Drawing the Abyssal Sword and his katana Kusanagi, DANTE lunges forward. ******* instantly manifests twin replicas of both weapons, meeting him head-on.
DANTE HERALDI: (Clashing blades) It seems we're evenly matched!
*******: (Grinding his swords) Don't count on it! Watch this!
Defeafening sparks fly as their blades collide repeatedly, sending towering plumes of sand into the air with every strike. Deep gashes mark both of their bodies. Hours seem to pass in this timeless realm until both combatants stand gasping for air, completely spent.
*******: (Exhausted) Damn it... just let me win already, you bastard!
DANTE HERALDI: (Breathing heavily) Hahaha... You think saying it makes it happen? My eyes are fixed on your power, and I'm taking it to get my revenge on that scum Bell!
In a split-second exchange, DANTE catches ******* in a brief lapse of concentration—severing his hand and cleanly slicing through his leg to drop him onto the sand. DANTE instantly presses the tip of his blade against *******'s neck, bringing the duel to an end.
DANTE HERALDI: (Gasping for air) Finally... I beat you. Now give me what's mine.
*******: (Exhausted, chuckling softly) Curse it all... hehehe. Fine, you earned it. I'll tell you my name... Listen carefully. In your language, my name is Merzost.
DANTE HERALDI: (Suspicious) Just like that? Where's the trick? Why give it up so easily without fighting further? What's going on?
MERZOST: (Sighing heavily) Listen to me, mortal... You have to stop him. You are the only one who can stop him! That monster intends to destroy everything!
DANTE HERALDI: You mean Bell?
MERZOST: That thing is no ordinary demon... He is...
Back in the main Underworld, the party watches in awe as DANTE's overflowing energy begins to stabilize. The horrifying, spine-chilling aura contracts back into his physical frame. Everyone stares attentively, waiting for DANTE to awaken.
High above, both BELL and AZRAEL descend toward the pyramid summit to witness what is about to unfold...
QUETZALCÓATL: DANTE! You're alright!
MALEKIN: Kid, don't give up! You can do this!
ISAMU: Lord Dante, stay strong!
REX: Dante, my friend, don't surrender!
The chaotic aura enveloping DANTE dissolves completely, leaving him staring silently at the stone floor. As his companions step forward cautiously, two figures descend rapidly from the sky: BELL and AZRAEL.
BELL: The time has come... Hehehe.
In a sudden burst of speed, BELL shoves AZRAEL backward, trapping him within a cage of searing green flames that seals the archangel's movements entirely.
AZRAEL: Curse it all...! What are these green flames?! Even touching them burns through my celestial form!
The others attempt to strike BELL, but they are defeated with ease—he knocks them all out of the fight. A single blow sends QUETZALCOATL flying; she crashes through the pyramid's railing and lands, bloodied, on the ground below. REX is sent tumbling a few meters away by a light strike. ISAMU is struck in the face, spinning like a top in the air before crashing hard to the ground, while MALEKIN is brought to his knees by a powerful blow to the stomach.
BELL: Now no one will get in the way.
BELL slowly approaches DANTE, looking down at him.
BELL: Are you ready, brat?
DANTE, his head still lowered, tightens his knuckles into iron fists.
DANTE HERALDI: "Domination."
A terrifyingly sinister aura erupts around DANTE as he snaps his head up to lock eyes with BELL. The villain recoils—a chilling demon glare burns within DANTE's eyes, pupils narrowed into reptilian slits set against solid yellow irises and black sclera. Utterly stunned, BELL takes a reflex step backward.
BELL: What...?! Why did I step back?! Was that... fear?!
MICTLANTEKUTI: Hahahahaha! You deserve it, you cursed bastard! I think your time has finally come, Bell! Hahaha... ha.
Without warning, MICTLANTEKUTI is cleanly cleaved in two.
DANTE stands over him, the Abyssal Sword unsheathed. Moving with ruthless efficiency, DANTE shreds the Dead God into a pile of ash, never taking his eyes off his true target. He spins around, bringing his full intent to bear on BELL.
DANTE HERALDI: You are going to pay for everything you've done, you son of a bitch. (Drawing the katana Kusanagi) Your life ends right here.
A fully unchained, merciless DANTE has awakened; his emotional mask is gone. BELL gazes back at him with a smirk, yet a subtle edge of nervousness creeps into his demeanor. The true final battle is about to begin.
Who is BELL in reality? Will AZRAEL break free from the green flames in time to assist? And what fate awaits this realm under the unbridled wrath of DANTE? Everything shall be revealed very soon!