480 years later... Present Day.
In the small village of Elderstone, located in the southwest of the European continent, the night carried the weight of tragedy. Among the smoking ruins, a young man with a deep gaze and hair as dark as the sea under the moonlight walked slowly wearing a black overcoat, his footsteps echoing on the ash-covered ground. The smell of burnt wood and blood hung thick in the air, mixing with the cold breeze of dawn. Bodies lay scattered, some still contorted in their last expressions of horror.
Suddenly, a feminine scream tore through the silence, filled with despair and pain. The young man looked up and, without hesitation, ran towards the center of the village. His feet crossed pools of blood and charred debris, while his breathing became heavier.
Upon arriving, he came across three colossal figures, grotesque creatures with rough, pink skin, their bodies swollen and disproportionate, as if their own corruption had shaped them. Their heads resembled those of wild pigs, with protruding yellowish tusks and small, bloodshot eyes.
"Hey, ugly thing! You better let that woman go!"
One of the monsters raised its head and laughed, showing its fangs. With a casual gesture, it rested its hand on the shoulder of its brother, who was holding a young woman with blue eyes and curly blond hair.
"My brother does not speak your human language."
"Then pass the message to him in your language, you walking pork rind."
The creature's smile faded.
"I do not recognize your scent... You were not in the village when we arrived."
"Indeed. I was just passing through... looking for three little pigs who escaped from Hell."
With one fluid movement, the boy pulled out two scythes attached to his waist, revealing ancient writings on the back of his hands. The creature smiled, showing confidence, signaled for the other to devour the woman. But before the monster could raise its arm, the young man launched one of his forces with deadly precision, severing the hand that was holding the victim. The woman fell amidst the rubble of an old tent, but from a safe height. She remained there, trembling, clutching a rosary that was tied to one of her hands, her eyes wide with terror, as if she had seen a ghost. Her hands were sweating and her body was paralyzed by terror, unable to understand what had just happened, while she looked at the boy, confused and terrified.
"I understand... You still haven't realized that I'm the one with the advantage. It will be better if you guys leave."
He said confidently.
The creatures hesitated for a moment, but did not retreat.
"You two idiots! Go! Get him!"
The giants advanced. The boy drew his right scythe and pointed toward another that was in the middle of the ruins of a house. At the same moment, a spiritual chain appeared between the blades, connecting them. The monster that had lost his hand was midway there, and when the chain closed, it pierced his chest. The giant fell to his knees, but he had not given up yet.
With a sarcastic laugh, he grabbed the chain with his remaining arm, a savage smile appearing on his face. At the same moment, the spiritual chains appeared, writhing like living snakes, slithering and coiling around his monstrous arm. The smile disappeared the moment the chain tightened with crushing force. Bones snapped, flesh tore, and an agonizing roar echoed through the village. The grip tightened mercilessly, tearing the creature's limbs apart one by one, until the final snap decreed its end.
"I told you guys to leave..."
The second monster, taken by fear, spoke unintelligible words and advanced, brandishing a kanabo. The young man merely pull the chain, and the other scythe flew back to meet him, piercing the enemy's body and cutting him in half.
"Did you really think you could escape from Hell, go around attacking whoever you wanted, and no one would come after you?"
The last creature growled, furious, but instinctively retreated.
"You bastard, who are you?! What do you want!?"
Damn, could he be another magic user? The creature thought.
The boy smirked.
"I'm just a bounty hunter trying to make an honest living."
He retracted his scythes, making the chains disappear in a ghostly glow.
"Besides... a thousand coins for each of your heads? I couldn't refuse, could I?"
He said with a certain arrogance as he sketched a smile on his face.
"And know that, I never return empty-handed from a hunt..."
"You'll pay for this!"
The creature roared in fury, sensing the difference in power between him and his opponent. His eyes glowed a savage red as his body grew, muscles expanding in an uncontrolled frenzy. The serrated teeth, stained with blood and terror, bared in an animalistic snarl. The creature roared, abandoning all rationality. It was only ferocity and killer instinct.
The young man remained still, watching in silence, as if studying every move of his prey. The instant the monster advanced, he jumped. The creature tried to grab him in midair, but was not fast enough. With a sharp flash, his scythes were drawn in a single fluid movement, and, as they descended, they tore into the beast's back, tearing flesh and tendons. The scream of pain echoed through the village, causing the monster to fall to its hands and knees on the ground but refusing to retreat.
Wasting no time, the young man spun in the air and, upon touching the ground, ran and slid underneath the creature. His blades cut into its chest and belly, opening a deep path where blood gushed like a waterfall. The giant then stood up, and trying to compose himself he stumbled, staggering backwards, his limbs trembling. Still, he did not fall. Panting and exhausted, he fought against his own ruin, refusing to accept his imminent death.
The young man sighed and, with a gentle movement, pulled a small pocket watch from inside his cloak. He opened it calmly, observing for a moment the hands about to complete a revolution.
"I'm sorry, friend..."
He murmured, closing the watch with a metallic click. His eyes raised to stare at the creature, cold as death itself. The girl, standing in silence, watched the scene with an expression of total disbelief.
"But your time on Earth has come to an end..."
The young man said as he positioned his blades, ready for the next attack.
"First Steps of Death: Absolute Darkness."
His voice was a whisper, and, in the blink of an eye, absolute darkness swallowed the environment. The monster roared, disoriented, sniffing the air to locate its target. But the boy, after making a certain gesture with one of his hands, was no longer where he should be.
He disappeared.
A second later, he reappeared behind the creature, with his scythes raised for the final blow. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the creature's head rolling across the ground, its body collapsing shortly after, blood gushing from its severed neck. The boy, impassive, cleaned his scythes with precision, passing the bloody blades over the body of the fallen creature, while he slowly approached the girl.
"Hey, is everything okay now? Are you hurt?"
The boy asked, reaching out to help her.
The girl stared at him, her eyes full of tears, still in shock and not knowing how to react. She wanted to reach out, but the recent scene paralyzed her. Her mind couldn't keep up with the reality that was unfolding before her.
"This must all be too much for you, huh?"
He added, in a soft voice, trying to ease the weight of the moment.
"Can you stand?"
He asked, ready to give support.
"No! I mean... I'm fine, thanks..."
She answered, her voice shaky but firm.
The boy nodded, with a small smile, and walked away silently, returning to the fallen creatures. As he bagged their heads, the girl watched him from afar, still full of doubts and a silent fear in her eyes. Who is this boy? She thought, her body still limp from everything she had witnessed.
"Well..." He said as he put away his scythes. "Let's get out of here, it's already getting dark and the next village is an hour's walk away."
The boy threw the bags on his back, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a slight uneasiness, as if something or someone was watching, an unusual presence in the air. The girl then joined the mysterious man.
The path was surrounded by the forest, the cold air cutting through the tranquility. Most of the walk was silent, only the sound of footsteps breaking the stillness.
"Marie!"
The girl exclaimed, breaking the silence.
The boy arched an eyebrow, looking at her without saying a word.
"My name is Marie!"
"Well, it's a pleasure, Marie."
He replied, quickly ending the conversation.
"And you... what's your name?"
A gentle breeze caressed the boy's face.
"Dante."
"Dante... so... thank you, Dante!"
Marie murmured, a slight smile on her face as if she was satisfied with just a few words.
"I have to say, you're surprisingly calm, considering what just happened. Most people would still be shaking in fear after seeing demons…" Dante commented, running his hand over the back of his neck, as if he found her calmness strange.
Marie lowered her gaze to the ground, holding her own arm lightly. "Well… actually, this isn't the first time I've had contact with the supernatural," she murmured, her voice carrying a distant tone.
Dante nodded slightly, hearing the discomfort in her voice. "I see… By the way, I'm sorry about what happened in your city."
Dante said, trying to ease the tense atmosphere between the two. Marie shrugged, still with a faint smile.
"You don't have to worry. It's sad, of course, but I was just passing through... I'm from Geneva."
"Geneva?"
Dante repeated, his eyes softening at the memory.
"I've been there before. The people are good, welcoming, the city is beautiful. Who knows, maybe one day I'll stop by."
Hearing this, Marie's smile widened, and a soft light lit up her eyes. She clutched the rosary tighter, as if that simple mention of her city made her feel connected again.
"And what's with that rosary? Is it something religious?"
"Yes. I come from a very religious family."
"Your family? Did they make you go to church and stuff?"
Dante asked, raising an eyebrow, but his expression remained serious, almost distant.
"What? No! I go because I feel good there! It's something... magical, it's wonderful to feel closer to the Creator!"
"Well, the people in the village wouldn't share that view..."
"Bad things happen all the time! That doesn't mean God is happy about it!"
Marie replied, noticing the sarcasm hidden in Dante's voice.
"It's a way of looking at things..."
Dante said, turning his gaze back to the road ahead.
"Okay, now I have a question for you. Why do you have 'Death' written on both your hands?"
Dante paused for a moment, surprise crossing his gaze.
"What?... How... do you know how to read ancient Hebrew?"
"It's a hobby... I like to learn." Marie replied, shrugging lightly, as if she had complete control of the situation.
"But you still haven't answered my question," Marie insisted, a tone of doubt and discomfort in her voice. "And now that I think about it, you spoke of religion in such a negative way... I thought you were a user of faith magic. You're not by any chance... a user of dark magic, are you!?"
The question hung in the air, and the fear of an uncertain answer began to spread through her. Faith magic... a power that comes from true devotion, a connection to the divine, or even through sacred artifacts...
Dante pondered, his thoughts turning to dark magic. Dark magic... manipulation of dark forces, fueled by pain, fear, and corruption. A power that exacts a high price, eroding the morality of those who use it and leaving them vulnerable to their own downfall. In most cases... they are abilities awakened by pacts with demons. I... perhaps I could consider myself a user of darkness...
"It's complicated."
He replied, as if the question bothered him more than it should.
"Which of my questions are you referring to?"
"All of them."
Dante tried to change the subject, looking away, but Marie's uneasiness was obvious.
The next few minutes passed in silence, as the two walked, each immersed in their own thoughts. When they reached the entrance to the city of Valkenbourg, Dante stopped, the weight of the moment taking over.
"Well... I guess this is where we say goodbye," he said, breaking the silence with a lower voice. "Be careful on the way to your city, okay?"
Dante spoke seriously, but there was a softness in his gaze. Marie nodded, but before she could answer, surprise overcame her. She hugged him tightly, her words failing her for a moment.
"Thank you again, you're a strange and mysterious boy, Dante, but if it weren't for you... well, you saved my life, I have no words to thank you!"
The trees around them swayed in the breeze as Marie's eyes filled with tears. He didn't know how to react to the hug, to the tears, but hearing from her that he saved her life made him smile slightly, which he tried to hide when Marie looked at his face.
"See you later, Dante!"
Marie waved before continuing on her way, her silhouette slowly moving away. He stood there, watching her silently, following each step until she disappeared into the distance.
For a moment, he stood there, the light breeze ruffling his hair. She seems like a kind person... he thought, smiling slightly. I hope she has a better fate than mine.
The moment passed and, with a sigh, Dante turned his attention back to what really mattered. Without hesitation, he turned and headed towards the bar to claim his reward.
He walked down the cobblestone street to the bar where he was supposed to demand payment for the monsters' heads. However, as he approached, he noticed something strange. There was a lot of movement inside, loud voices and the sound of breaking glass.
Upon entering, he was met with a peculiar scene.
The patrons, armed with knives, forks and broken bottles, kept their weapons trained on a woman sitting near the bar. Her curved horns and thin, arrow-tipped tail revealed her unusual nature. The bartender, trembling, pulled a Bible from under the counter, his eyes wide with fear.
"Demon!"
Some shouted, spitting the word like venom.
Dante raised an eyebrow, but did not hesitate. He walked to the bar, pulled up a chair and sat down next to the supposed threat, tossing two bags onto the polished wood.
The bartender's eyes widened.
"Hey, kid! Get out of here! She's a demon!"
He said, making the sign of the cross.
The woman, oblivious to the chaos around her, gently twirled a glass between her fingers, observing the scarlet wine inside. Then she took a sip and frowned.
"Ugh... so bitter. Your drink, humans, has no taste at all!"
The bartender hesitantly opened one of the bags. The metallic smell of blood filled the air as he saw the monsters' heads piled up inside. His face went pale.
"H-How...? Did you do this all by yourself!?"
Panic suddenly struck him. He took a step back, pointing at the boy.
"He's a demon too! There are two demons!"
The bar turned upside down, everyone in panic. Dante sighed, pouring his own drink as if all the commotion was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
"So you were the one following me? If you wanted to hurt me, you would have done it while I was fighting those monsters," he said, looking down. Then he turned to the woman beside him.
"But since that's not the case... what do you want?"
She smiled softly, resting her chin on her hand. Her skin was a grayish red, contrasting with the long, voluminous hair that slid between her fingers, revealing a silvery gradient. Small, refined claws adorned her hands, while her eyes, a vibrant orange, shone like dancing flames in the darkness of the night, fixed on Dante.
"I was observing. Evaluating. Wondering if you were really who I was looking for."
Dante remained silent, raising the glass to his lips.
"And now? Have you come to any conclusions?"
The woman leaned forward slightly, shaking her beautiful, pointed ears adorned with piercings, her eyes scanning the Hebrew tattoos on his hands. A sharp smile appeared on her face.
"Yes... now I'm sure."
The bar fell into complete silence. Everyone waited, caught between fear and curiosity.
Then she said:
"It's you, isn't it...? Death!"
END OF CHAPTER 2