Years had passed since he last received a birthday gift. Merry didn't get the chance to give him the one she had prepared, so Bella beat her to it, even though she was late herself. Dante didn't know what to expect, and he didn't care all that much. Whatever it was his raven-haired subordinate had prepared, he intended to appreciate it to the fullest, making sure to be properly thankful. That's indeed what he had intended, but then he laid eyes on the gift.
A bulky frame made of metal. Sharp edges and a blocky shape. If not for its thick handle giving it a distinct form, one wouldn't be blamed if they saw the head of a sledgehammer while looking at it, one that had been used to smash people's heads in again and again and again, until their blood stuck to its metal, refusing to go away no matter who tried to scrub it.
