"Let's forget about this, shall we? Water under the bridge," Kazess said, looking at Dante with something akin to a sentimental appeal for the 'old times.'
Dante smiled at him and calmly said, "Your dear multiversal daughter will love my presence. I still remember the spiritual cradle... she was so cute, the golden fairy of the King. Does she remember that? Probably not, you're too protective, you must have disconnected the memory of her other versions..." Dante said as if he knew a lot about him... and well, he did know quite a bit.
"How have you been? It's been a few years since we last saw each other, the last time was before Sector Prime was erased," Dante questioned. He wasn't quite Dante Scarlet anymore.
"Ah~ After following what Titania wanted, I ended up receiving a punishment... Believe me, you weren't the only one frustrated. Now it makes sense why the administrators went completely insane with me for doing that. Only you would take Voralith out of that world..." Kazess said, inviting Dante to enter the portal that led directly to the spirit world.
Dante didn't refuse; it had been thousands of years since he last saw the spiritual world.
"So, what exactly brought you here?" Kazess asked. "Usually, you wouldn't call me directly, and well... I believe you wouldn't want to see me anyway," Kazess said, walking around. "Etherion isn't really a place I like to come to; the feeling is kind of suffocating..." Dante murmured. "Well, this world is for spirits without physical bodies, and you have a body.
It's just the consequences of that," he explained, shrugging.
"Can you take me to this spirit here?" Dante said, showing the sword still in his hand, which Kazess barely noticed he was carrying. "Are you sure? The state of that one..." he murmured, already knowing how the 'Platinum Dragon' was. "Of course, I'll fix this problem. I need her... well, I don't need her, but the girl who owns the sword interests me a bit, so I'll do her a favor."
"Alright, if that's what you wish," Kazess said, creating a large bridge of light.
.net
They began walking calmly and unhurriedly. Dante observed the ethereal landscape without any dark spots of shadow; it was just radiant lights as if this world were perfect, and well... it was... at least the upper part. "How's the management of the Lower Side?" Dante asked, and Kazess let out a heavy sigh. "If you want to know about that girl, she's still down there...
in deep sleep. She... gave up on her own existence a while ago and just spends her days hibernating infinitely," Kazess said without emotion, but Dante sensed a slight bitterness in his words.
"I understand. The Infinite Dragon forgot how to live. It's sad..." he murmured. "I thought she would come out once she sensed Voralith's rebirth." "Ah, no, most still believe Voralith just died. The Administrators didn't let them know; it would be too troublesome," he explained as they reached an enormous dome.
"She's in there, make the signal and I'll bring you back," Kazess said, disappearing among the small energy flakes.
"So... let's see what we have here..." Dante said, entering the dome calmly, expecting to see anything, but at first glance, he saw nothing but a huge white dragon sleeping, its wings gracefully folded around its imposing body. The sound of its slow, deep breathing echoed softly through the space, creating an almost hypnotic atmosphere.
"That's... incredible," she murmured, still breathless but clearly stronger. "I don't know how you managed it, but I feel revitalized."
Dante smiled, satisfied to see that his help had taken effect. "I told you I'd help, didn't I? Now, Thalassa, we need to talk about something... I believe you know about the being causing problems for me," he said, feeling that the sword was already trying to communicate with him, so he presumed it was related.
"Yes..." Thalassa confirmed, lowering her head slightly, realizing it was time to discuss business. "Tiamat, that vile creature... He put me in this state," she revealed, making Dante wonder why.
"Was this when you were still alive?" he asked, seeing the dragoness nod.
"Wow... that's intense," he murmured. "I sealed him using my life force, which is why I was dying," she revealed, and now things made sense.
"You used your essence to seal him... if you were dying, you must have used a lot," he acknowledged, and she agreed.
Dante furrowed his brow, the gravity of the situation becoming clear in his mind. "So, Tiamat was responsible for your condition, and you sacrificed your essence to seal him. That explains a lot. But if he's still out there, we can't let him roam free."
Thalassa raised her head, her eyes shining with renewed determination. "He's sealed, but the seal weakens over time. That's why I need someone strong enough to maintain the seal or destroy it once and for all," she said, looking directly into Dante's eyes.
"I understand," Dante said, thoughtfully. "So, someone is tampering with his seal... to the point of getting his blood." Dante murmured, realizing that only Tiamat's blood was capable of killing him the first time.
"Tiamat is a being of pure destruction and chaos," Thalassa explained, her voice laden with painful memories. "He is an ancient dragon, one of the first like you, but his essence was corrupted by a malevolent force. He seeks not just power, but the complete annihilation of everything good and pure."
"He is an Apocalypse Beast," Thalassa said.
Dante pondered for a moment... This wasn't the first time he had heard about the End Beasts, or Apocalypse Beasts as Thalassa referred to them. He had known one in his past life, but... she was not someone he could tamper with, even he, the supreme lord of his universe, an Overlord, had not been able to properly deal with her. So... now...
what was left for him to do?
"The sword, it has my sealing magic... Just cut off the five heads with it and it will all end," Thalassa said confidently.
"I understand..."