CHAPTER 25: SLAUGHTERED MY ARMY, BITCH

Dante slashed at the rogue’s midsection, but missed as the woman’s reflexes kicked in, and she leapt back, unleashing a Wind Blast to try to clear some space between them. Sulla materialized to block the attack, his Necrotic energy coiling like a shield. He summoned some of his Death Bears, who joined the fray and attacked the Rogue.

This forced the human to slowly back off as the Human warrior stood up just in time to block Raoul’s strike. Sparks flew everywhere as the fight erupted; his gaze snapped onto the Elf woman, who was busy aiding the Bear warrior. Without waiting, he looked at Medea and gave the order. ’’Take out their healer. When you do that, bring her body to the square.’’

The Plague Maiden nodded before vanishing. That’s when he noticed Sulla fighting with their warrior mage, causing explosions to ring out as the two traded spells, but the Death Lich was stronger and overwhelmed the man. Dante watched the necrotic magic burn off the Human’s arm, earning him an agony-filled scream.

He moved in to finish the enemy, but someone blocked the tip of his daggers, throwing him backwards. When he landed, a horrible light aura washed over the battlefield, wiping out his monsters while the Death Knights were sent back to the Domain, causing him to be extremely angry.

’What fucking hero magic is this!’ he internally hissed.

Just then, more humans appeared and surrounded Dante, blocking any chance of escape, but that didn’t bother him in the slightest. The newcomers were led by a blonde Cleric staring at him like he was the bane of her existence. Seeing he was outnumbered one hundred to one, he grinned manically and started laughing.

It was an eerie sound that scared everyone apart from the Cleric who stepped forward, wielding a flaming sword. She pointed it at him, declaring. ’’You were the old Hero Dante! But now you’re a vile creature of the Death Goddess, and the Sisters of the Eternal Flame will send you back to the underworld.’’

Dante didn’t answer straight away but scanned the woman using Death Eyes.

[A Rank Human - Cleric]

His eyes glowed thanks to the fight that was about to erupt, but before anything, he replied. ’’What do you know of the underworld, little Cleric? What do you grasp of death’s true weight?’’ he sneered, his voice dripping with venom. ’’Your holier-than-thou kind condemned me to the pyre, burned me alive after I slew the Demon King! You thought you purged evil, but all you achieved was sowing the seeds of your ruin by taking my life!’’

When those words left his lips, the land around them became cold, as if death was affecting it, but he continued. ’’Now, the world you know will choke on the ashes of your hubris, and once I’m done here, I’ll forge a paradise from the bones, a kingdom of eternal death!’’

Moments later, A rift tore open in the fabric of reality, a swirling vortex of shadow and despair. From its depths emerged his four Death Knights, their eyes glowing with an unholy red light. At their side lumbered the Death Bear Leader, its muscular form shrouded in reddish fur, its snarling maw dripping with ichor.

Then there was Mary the Death Wraith and Marianna the White Lady, who appeared looking enraged. The younger woman let out a shrill scream, forcing the enemies to cover their ears as her mother’s body began to fade. All this caused Henry the Black Knight to ready himself for battle.

[Death army: 4/150]

These were the Heralds of the Dead, the last remnants of his undead legion, spared from the Cleric’s purge. Dante’s blood boiled at the realization of all his hard work gone because of the bitch in front of him, his fury a raging inferno as he faced the holy woman, but she wouldn’t back down.

’’You’ve likely encountered necromancers who command the undead, but they are nothing but empty huskswith all due respect, these are my Death Knights. They will carve through your rabble, paving the way to make you my undead servant,’’ he declared, before vanishing into the shadows.

When the humans saw this, they panicked as Sulla began casting his dark spells that the Cleric blocked. Just then, the Black Knight moved in, with one huge swing, he carved into the shield, but was stopped when a knight engaged him in battle. Raoul moved in to protect Medea and Sulla from the other humans.

Dante’s manic smile grew wide as his gaze locked onto the blonde woman, who looked scared when he exploded forward. He moved through the crowd, killing any knights or adventurers he came across, earning loads of experience before he had the chance to attack the Cleric.

Moments later, he got close enough to strike and aimed the tip of his dagger at her throat, but his attack was blocked by a young man who stopped him in his tracks. He recognized the face from his past. His eyes widened as he sneered. ’’You must be related to the Magic Hero Freddy.’’

The stranger’s green eyes widened in horror as he staggered backward, his trembling voice barely breaking the tense silence. ’’How could you possibly know my ancestor?’’ he stammered, his words quivering. ’’No one’s laid eyes on him in decades since the meeting with the other heroes!’’

Dante rose to his full height, his presence looming like a storm cloud. His twin daggers, slick thanks to the other human’s blood, glinted with a menace that seemed to pulse with his barely contained rage. He levelled one blade at the descendant of the Ten Heroes, his eyes narrowing into slits.

’’Your ancestor, Freddy, my so-called friend and teacher, he was there when I killed the Demon King two hundred years ago,’’ he snarled. ’’Was the one who betrayed me, burned me, and left me for dead in the ashes of that victory. You, his blood, will be the first to pay for his sins!’’

Without warning, Dante launched himself forward. His movements were a blur, each step calculated, each swing of his daggers a promise. The young man, wide-eyed and desperate, fumbled to raise his blade in defence, but his inexperience was no match for his seasoned ferocity.

Freddy’s descendant fought valiantly, his movements frantic but futile against the death Monarch’s onslaught. One by one, he crumbled. A flick of his wrist sent the young man’s sword clattering to the ground, leaving him defenceless. Dante pressed his advantage, his daggers carving shallow cuts across the hero’s arms, chest, and legs, a thousand stinging wounds that bled both body and spirit.

The young man staggered, his strength waning, until he collapsed to his knees, his breath ragged, his eyes radiating raw, unbridled fear as Dante loomed over him, a specter of vengeance incarnate. A smile appeared as he crouched in front of the young hero and used Death Eyes on him.

[D Rank Human - Hero]

’’Oh, you’ll make a good servant,’’ he revealed, grinning ear to ear. ’’Now wait here and watch as I slaughter the rest of you.’’

With a surge of fury, Dante charged toward the Cleric, who had driven back Mary and Marianne with her horrible magic. His boots pounded the blood-soaked earth, each step fueled by vengeance. As he closed the distance, he vanished in a blur of shadow, reappearing silently behind the Cleric who was too busy trying to kill the Death Wraith to sense him.

Leaning close, his breath cold against her ear, he hissed. ’’You slaughtered my army, bitch. Now you pay with your life.’’

Before she could react, Dante’s dagger plunged into her back, the blade finding her heart. A choked gasp escaped her lips as crimson sprayed from her mouth. The Cleric crumpled, her once-brilliant aura fading into nothingness. Turning his attention to the remaining knights, he moved like a storm, his blade a flickering shadow that cut through armor and flesh.

One by one, they fell, their cries swallowed by the chaos of battle. As the final enemy collapsed, the battlefield grew eerily still, save for the ragged sound of his breathing. Exhausted, he sank to one knee, his energy spent. Blood dripped from his dagger, pooling on the ground as he steadied himself.

Around him, the carnage told the story of his wrath, proof of the cost of crossing his path. ’’Damn humans destroyed my army, now I need to rebuild it, but with stronger monsters this time,’’ he muttered.

Dante turned to the four Death Knights and ordered. ’’Collect all the high-ranked corpses and bring them to me. Throw the others into the Death Camp for later.’’

He waved his hand, and a portal opened to the Domain as he made his way back to Thornebrooke. Ten minutes later, he stepped into the town square to see the other humanoids cowering, thanks to the Death Wolf Leader, who circled them, letting out vicious growls, only to howl when seeing him.