Beatrice stood silent, her gaze still lingering on the fading gold motes left behind by the vanished Wheel.
The mark on her arm pulsed faintly beneath her skin, physical proof of her newly quoted power she had just gained, if you asked her, she still can't believe it was real, and yet here it is.
Her breath came slow but shallow, her lungs still burning slightly from the curse of
"So." She began, her voice uncertain. "Do I have to play the next game?"
Dante leaned back in his chair again, his usual and easy going, and unreadable calm stretched across his face.
One leg crossed over the other, fingers resting lazily beneath his chin as his violet eyes flickered faintly, looking at Beatrice.
"Not really." He said, but continue to speak by saying. "However if you wanted, you could leave right now. Walk away with the power you've rightfully won and earned in our friendly little game, and keep your freedom intact while you are at it."
Dante made clear, and Beatrice blinked. "So… I could just go, and would just let me go just like that!?" He asked, and Dante confirmed by saying. "Yap just like that."
"You could return to the waking world as you are now, you finally get your wish, and become a true Spirit Warrior, bearer of sigil of "Pressure Control" You would still be stronger than most if you are creative in the usage of the power itself. "But… He leaned forward slightly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips again. "You could also risk it. Play another round of games with me, spin the Wheel again… and perhaps claim another ability. Leaving this place even stronger than you are now, really the choice is yours Lady Beatrice."
Beatrice frowned. "You mean… I can draw twice?" Dante gave a soft chuckle at her suprise response. "Yes... You could. But this next game isn't like the last." Said Dante as he continue. "You see." He paused, his tone dropping. "This time, you aren't the one asking for a wager."
Her brow furrowed. "What?"
"This time." Dante said, standing up from his chair, his shadow stretching unnaturally long against the floor, previously he didn't have one but add a little fear effect he made on. A she approach to her ears and whisper menacingly. "I am the one who wishes to wager something."
Beatrice tilted her head slightly, unsure if she heard him right. "You?"
"Yes....me." Said Dante chuckling slightly as he continue to speak. "You see, Beatrice, I've given you power already. A gift of my own making. But power, in my world, is never without purpose."
His tone softened, only to continue speaking keeping up his same menacing act. "I wager the same as before, if you win, you can take another ability. But what I want in return, is something simple, and that is your very existence."
Beatrice's eyes widened. "My existence? What the hell does that even mean?" Dante's smirk all but faded, not into coldness, but something close to sincerity. "Simple." He said. "I require a body in the real world. You could call it an anchor, something to connect me beyond this dream. Without one, I'm powerful, yes, but only within this realm. I cannot touch, walk, or act directly upon the living world. I am a Spirit without a vessel, or a player without a controller, nothing more than a spectator."
She took a step back, her heartbeat quickening. "So… you want to possess me?"
Dante shook his head. "No. Not in the crude sense you're imagining. I wouldn't be hijacking your will or stealing your mind. You would still be you, Beatrice as she is now, but you would also become my Avatar."
He paused, his tone turning deliberate, as he began ease her into it, and explain what this means in more detail sense. "What that means is...we would share one existence, bound by a contract. You would act as my vessel when I need to manifest in the real world, but not as a puppet. You would keep your free will, your emotions, your choices. However….
"However?" She whispered.
Dante's gaze sharpened slightly. "You would also be carrying my mark. My power would flow through you, and in return, my influence would linger. A permanent contract, binding us both. You would gain more power than any human or non-human Spirit Warrior could dream of in one go. But ultimately…
He smiled faintly. "…I would benefit the most. Because through you, I would finally have a body, a presence that represent my will, a way to accumulate more power in the real world...
Beatrice stood still, processing his words. Her fingers brushed the glowing mark on her arm as she exhaled softly. "So… if I agree, I become your Avatar. And if I refuse, I walk away."
"That is correct... I won't force you into anything, but becoming my avatar isn't a bad offer, I just want more power, and maybe to experience the real world through flesh once more." Dante said a she gets very serious with his roleplaying.
Her gaze drifted downward. The silence stretched between them, heavy and uncertain.
She could walk away now. One Spirit Technique was already more than enough. Most humans would kill for even the weakest one. Pressure Control could turn her into freakish powerhouse, she could already sense its potential. But the temptation whispered louder than reason in this moment.
And Pride soon turn into Greed.
'Another ability.'
'More power.' And from Greed, Pride resurface once more with Beatrice heart.
"To stand equal with them." She said out aloud.
Her siblings faces flashed through her mind, their smirks, their superiority, the way they always treated her as the lesser one. The forgotten child of a noble house, the one who never awakened to any blessing. Her lips tightened. She sighed softly, almost to herself. "I know I shouldn't do it…
But her tone wavered with a quiet thrill. "And yet… I really want to." Her eyes met Dante's, and for a moment, he could see it, a dangerous spark of desire, that small yet familiar madness that he carried times himself when playing Gacha.
"I wonder if this is what people call… gambling addiction." She said with a short, bitter laugh. Dante's smirk returned. "You''e starting to understand the fun of it." Beatrice took a long breath, her decision sealed. "Fine. I'll play your finale game, D!"
The moment she said it, the world around them shifted.
From above, a calm mechanical voice spoke, Virgil's, but mimicking Beatrice began to speak up
[Confirmation received. A new game has been chosen]
The words echoed smoothly, reverberating through the world around them.
[Game Title: Hangman]
Beatrice blinked. "Hangman? You mean that old word game?" Dante chuckled. "Oh, don't let the name fool you. Here, even a simple game can take on… interesting forms."
[For fairness, I will preside over this match]
Virgil's voice continued.
[Neither side shall be allowed to cheat. The rules are as follows: A random word will be chosen from the collective memory of both participants, something both of you would know. The first to guess the full word wins. The loser forfeits their wager]
Beatrice looked to Dante, and his faint grin said it all. "Straightforward enough, right?" He said. "You win, you spin the Wheel again. You lose…
"I become your Avatar." She finished quietly.
Dante nodded once. "Exactly." Virgil's voice hummed again, emotionless.
[Initializing. The chosen word has been selected]
Before them, letters began to form in midair, glowing white slashes and faint underscores. A simple word, six spaces long came into being.
"_ _ _ _ _ _"