Dante appeared in a world he didn't quite remember, but as soon as he entered that place, his memory cleared, and everything came flooding back at a processing speed that nearly made him stumble.
Then, a striking man emerged from a golden ray, appearing at the mountain peak, where there was a small dwelling. Dante observed the man closely. "You..." he murmured, watching as the man approached. The figure had a majestic appearance, dressed in a black Chinese robe adorned with golden engravings that formed an enormous dragon, with long red hair reaching his knees. He tried to touch Dante, but... he simply passed through him as if... Dante were a ghost. "So, that's how it is... I guess it's begun..." he murmured, looking ahead without turning back.
The sound of the wind passed by his ears, and his body stiffened when he heard what the man said to the wind. "So you're finally here."
"Ah, so you were waiting for me, huh?" Dante asked as he looked at the man, identical to him.
"Well, I had a long time to think before making that choice," he shrugged, as if inviting Dante to walk by his side, and so he did.
"Choices, huh?" Dante questioned; it was the first time he had the chance to talk with someone who really understood what was happening to him and his mindset.
"Yes, we are quite meticulous when it comes to our choices, aren't we?" he asked Dante as they walked past several sakura cherry trees.
"So, what did you choose?" Dante deflected, asking something else to keep the conversation going—he didn't have much time.
"The best at the time... to let him defeat me and kill all of them, so I could revive them when I reincarnated," he said as they walked together.
"Did you really have the courage to do something like that?" Dante questioned; it was a situation that he, Dante, couldn't even imagine happening... In fact, it was impossible for him to choose something like that.
"I know what you're thinking; it wasn't that easy... Actually, I preferred to sacrifice myself first rather than see the outcome, but it seems that didn't work out so well." Dante noticed that in the blink of an eye...
He was on his last grain of life, the final spark... The Prime Sector.
Then he saw a girl running towards the Dragon Lord. "You're late," he heard in the wind from the fallen man.
The girl looked around, and many women lay fallen... her sisters, friends, mentors, and confidants of thousands of years, all... absolutely all of them were dead... and only the Dragon Lord remained alive, completely debilitated and missing an arm.
Li Mei ran to him, her heart heavy with the devastating sight. The pain in her eyes was evident as she knelt by his side. "What happened? Who did this?"
The Dragon Lord tried to smile, but the pain in his eyes was deep. "Angra Mainyu... with a power we couldn't foresee. He was different, his eyes were..."
"Yes. Absorbing a dragon would do more than just boost your strength and defense against it. Becoming one... that would free you from their control entirely. Dragons are absolute."
Dante's gaze sharpened, but a doubt lingered. "What about Tiamat, Talassa, Eldrax, and Voralith?" he asked, thinking of each name.
The man nodded, seeming lost in thought. "The black dragoness is expendable—she can't help you. Eldrax is still young, but drinking her blood as a vampire would yield significant benefits, as would with Voralith. In fact, Voralith's power was a foundation in your own creation; with enough of her essence, your body would evolve more rapidly."
"And if I drain Tiamat's power?" Dante asked with a sly grin.
"You wouldn't survive long... absorbing her raw blood would evolve you quickly, yes, but you'd also risk being consumed by Chaos energy," the man replied, his calm demeanor never wavering.
Dante processed each word, weighing his options. "So, if I absorb a dragon's blood, I break free from negativity's influence, but I risk my sanity... which means I'd have to do this in a controlled way."
"Precisely. You can't dive into Chaos's depths without consequences. With Tiamat, one misstep and it would devour you from within."
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Dante looked around, observing the peaceful sakura trees surrounding the temple. The sound of branches swaying in the breeze eased his tension. "But if I can absorb the energy of Eldrax and Voralith... I could build a solid foundation without risking my sanity. Right?"
"Correct." The man offered a light smile, seeming pleased with Dante's reasoning. "You need patience. Tiamat can grant immediate power, but not the continuous growth you need. You'd probably end up like that time on the Blood Armageddon day."
Dante met his gaze, eyes fierce with determination. "I'm tired of just planning. It's time to act. So, tell me... how can I maximize what I gain from Eldrax and Voralith without compromising my existence?"
"Simply drink their blood continuously until Voralith's essence awakens. Once that happens, make a vampire union pact with them. This will likely cause an unusual reaction and break the pact, connecting your souls and hearts. When that occurs, you'll achieve the prerequisite for evolution—obtaining a Dragon Heart, or rather... two," he explained, looking deeply into Dante's eyes.
"After that, absorb as much of their blood as possible without endangering them, and concentrate all that essence into a single point. It'll be risky, but... time is against us. Ask Lilith to attempt to transform you into a demon, and then, a complete Demon Dragon will emerge. With you as a progenitor, molding your soul like Voralith's, all requirements will be met. You'll stabilize the balance, becoming a divine force of negativity. An equivalent to a God of Destruction."
"A Demon Dragon... built for absolute destruction," Dante murmured, letting the words echo in his mind.
"I understand..." Dante said, standing. "I have a sector to save." He looked at the man, who smiled as he dissolved into golden dust, drifting into the distance.
"Let's go back." With a final sigh, Dante watched as the dust shifted direction, flying toward him. A wave of warmth washed over him as the memories returned.