"Sir, detecting abnormal energy readings!" Jarvis's alarm pierced through the communication channel.
Tony snapped his head back—only to see the demon's remaining lower half suddenly explode, and tons of dark purple blood defying gravity, suspended in mid-air!
These viscous liquids wriggled like living things, instantly coalescing into a giant blood sphere a hundred meters in diameter.
The bodies of the annihilated cultists were turning into blood mist, being frantically absorbed by the blood sphere!
"Ha, I know this scene…" Dante's Rebellion suddenly trembled, and the demonic runes on the blade lit up with dazzling red light, "The true demon is coming."
Human-like outlines suddenly bulged from the surface of the blood sphere, with thousands of twisted faces floating in the plasma.
They simultaneously opened their mouths, emitting high-frequency shrieks.
The sound waves materialized into crimson ripples that swept across the battlefield, shattering all building glass in their path!
Boom—!
The blood sphere had now expanded to three hundred meters in diameter, with lava-like patterns resembling demonic skin appearing on its surface.
Sharp bone spikes pierced out from within the sphere, like hatching insect eggs.
A vertical pupil gradually formed in the center of the sphere—that pupil was a vertical pupil like a snake's!
"Everyone." Tony's Arc Light began to assemble again, "Get ready."
"Warning! Energy readings have exceeded critical values!"
Jarvis's alarm continued to blare.
The blood sphere suddenly became still.
All sounds vanished, and the battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
The next second—
Boom!!!!
The blood sphere exploded!
Tons of dark purple plasma erupted like a tsunami, and the Impact leveled all buildings within a thousand-meter radius!
Dante's Rebellion slammed into the ground, his entire body sliding back dozens of meters, pushed by the Impact;
Tony's mechanical wings instantly deployed an energy shield, yet he was still thrown through three buildings;
Steve's cape flapped wildly, and he dug his hands deep into the ground to steady himself;
Hulk was directly flung away, smashing into a bell tower.
As the blood mist gradually dispersed—
In the center of the battlefield, stood a demon approximately two meters tall.
The true demon.
It was pitch Black, its skin like polished obsidian, gleaming with a cold luster under the blood moon.
The lines of every muscle were perfectly chilling, as if sculpted from the purest violence.
Behind it, two pairs of curved demonic horns extended backward like a crown, their tips burning with an unquenchable crimson Hellfire.
What was most terrifying were its eyes—
There were no pupils, only two swirling abysses, as if looking for one more second would suck away one's soul.
It slowly raised its hand, looked at its long, sharp claws, and then—
Smiled.
That smile made Dante's hair stand on end.
It wasn't a ferocious, maniacal laugh, but… pleasure.
Like a gourmet seeing a table full of delicacies, or an artist facing a blank canvas.
Dante stared at the demon's smile, and his own lips suddenly curved into a similar arc.
"Ha…" He chuckled softly, gently tapping the hilt of Rebellion, "Looks like I'll have to get a little serious."
Tony looked up from the shattered building, his brows furrowed beneath his faceplate: "Dante, you—"
"You guys go first." Dante waved his hand without looking back, "Go find Bucky and that William, I'll handle things here."
Steve's cape vibrated under the demon's oppressive aura, and he said in a deep voice: "This isn't the time to show off."
Dante finally turned his head, the smile on his lips deepening: "Show off?" He pointed to himself, then to the demon opposite, "I'm a professional demon hunter, you guys are just getting in the way here."
Tony's mech scanner flashed frantically, and Jarvis's voice sounded in the communication channel: "Sir, target energy readings have exceeded database limits, recommending—"
"I recommend you all get out of here." Dante interrupted, simultaneously flicking his right hand, and the magazine of Ivory ejected.
He leisurely slipped in a few special runes-engraved bullets, "This guy isn't something that can be solved by sheer numbers."
The demon remained in place, its obsidian-like skin gleaming coldly under the blood moon.
It tilted its head, seemingly enjoying the conversation.
Tony was silent for a second, then suddenly raised his hand, and all the missile bays on his mech's shoulders locked onto the demon: "At least let us help you weaken it—"
"Save it, idol." Dante clicked the magazine shut, slinging Rebellion onto his back, "Your weapons are like toys to it."
As if to confirm his words, the demon suddenly raised its hand—
Swish!
The twelve miniature missiles Tony had just fired solidified in mid-air, then, as if crushed by an invisible hand, exploded into weak sparks.
"..." Beneath Tony's faceplate, his expression finally changed.
Dante twisted his neck, his bones making a crisp sound: "Alright, chitchat time's over." He held Ebony in his left hand and Ivory in his right, crossing the two guns across his chest, "If you don't leave now, I won't have time to protect you later."
Steve took a deep breath, the light of his Golden Armor faintly shimmering: "Dante, are you sure?"
"Ha!" Dante laughed loudly, then suddenly lunged towards the demon, Rebellion carving a crimson Arc Light, "This is much more fun than playing video games!"
The demon finally moved—its movements were so fast they almost left afterimages, its obsidian-like claws colliding with Rebellion, erupting in a dazzling shower of sparks!
Clang—!!!
The Impact instantly exploded, and the ground within a hundred-meter radius collapsed with a roar!
Tony's mech was pushed back several meters by the air current, he gritted his teeth: "Everyone, proceed as planned!"
Hulk crawled out of the ruins, his green skin covered in dust: "Hulk wants to smash things!"
"There's plenty for you to smash." Tony grabbed Hulk's shoulder, his mechanical wings pushing at full power, "But not this one—we need to find Bucky and that William first."
Steve took one last look at the battlefield—Dante's figure was already entangled with the demon, sword light, gun fire, and obsidian afterimages flashing wildly under the blood moon, each collision making the air tremble.
He turned and followed Tony, his cape fluttering behind him: "Hank, re-route, we'll bypass the main battlefield!"
Beast's reply came through the communicator: "Already on it! There's a strong energy reading beneath the church, Bucky and William should both be there!"
— — — — —
Dante did a backflip to evade the demon's claw attack, Rebellion slammed into the ground for a sudden stop, and his left hand, Ebony, fired continuously.
The bullets exploded on the demon's chest, but only left a few shallow White marks.
"Tsk, thick skin." He blew the smoke from the gun barrel, "Looks like I'll have to use something special…"
The demon suddenly vanished—
The next second, Dante felt a chill on the back of his neck, he sharply ducked, and the obsidian claws grazed his hair!
"Hey, sneak attacks aren't gentlemanly." Dante swept his leg in a low kick, and the demon lightly leaped back to avoid it.
The two faced off again, the demon's lips still curved in that pleased smile.
Dante flexed his wrist, then suddenly grinned: "Alright, since the audience has left…"
He held Rebellion vertically in front of his chest—
"Let's dance, baby."
All of Rebellion's runes lit up, the blade doubled in length, its edges wreathed in crimson lightning.
The demon finally seemed to show interest, it leaned slightly forward and made a 'please' gesture.
Dante laughed loudly: "That's more like it!"
"Round one~" He whistled, his voice carrying his characteristic nonchalance.
He lunged forward, red demonic power trailing a crimson path behind him, Rebellion colliding with the obsidian claws once more—
Boom!!!!
The moment Rebellion collided with the demon's claws, Dante suddenly released his left hand, using the recoil to leap into the air.
He elegantly flipped his body mid-air, his coat tails drawing a perfect arc, and with the blade in his right hand, precisely sliced across the demon's chest.
Screech—!
The obsidian-like skin was torn for the first time, and magma-like demonic blood gushed out.
The demon looked down in astonishment, but Dante had already used the splashing blood droplets to flip back, his two guns now in his hands at some unknown point.
Bang bang bang bang!
Ivory and Ebony fired alternately, each bullet precisely hitting the demon's temple.
The demon staggered backward, but Dante, seizing the advantage, suddenly put away his two guns and gripped Rebellion with both hands—
"Stinger!"
Crimson lightning burst from the blade's tip, and Dante, like an arrow released from a bow, pierced through the demon's chest!
The aftermath shattered all the building glass in half a city block, and the demon was pinned to the outer wall of a building three hundred meters away.
"It's not over yet~" Dante whistled and twirled his blade.
His left hand suddenly conjured a Faust Hat, and his right hand revealed the Balrog gauntlets.
Both demonic artifacts glowed simultaneously, and the moment the demon struggled to get up—
Boom!
Purple energy blades and Hellfire fist winds intertwined into a Death spiral, shredding the entire building into pieces!
The demon's obsidian body developed spiderweb-like cracks.
"You're tougher than I thought." Dante landed lightly on a tilted streetlamp, tilting his head to reveal his signature roguish grin, "But—"
The demon suddenly erupted!
Six bone spikes shot out from its back, like a cage closing in on Dante.
Dante, however, smiled even more brightly, even spreading his arms to welcome the attack.
The instant the bone spikes were about to hit, Dante's figure suddenly blurred.
His movements were impossibly fast, Rebellion drawing a perfect defensive circle in front of him.
Clang clang clang clang!
All bone spikes were precisely deflected, and the demon itself lost its balance.
Dante seized the opportunity, plunging Rebellion into the ground for leverage, his entire body spinning seven hundred and twenty degrees in the air, his right leg descending with falling momentum, striking down fiercely!
"Devil Breaker!"
This kick landed on the demon's crown, and the Impact exploded in a ring.
The demon's legs sank into the ground, and its obsidian skull showed clear cracks.
"Round two~" Dante landed lightly, smoothly catching the falling Rebellion, his movements fluid as flowing Water.
The demon finally showed an expression of pain, it tore open its chest and pulled out a twisted long sword made of spinal bones.
Dante whistled: "About time!"
Amidst the clash of blade and sword, Dante suddenly changed his move, deflecting the bone sword with his hilt, and his left hand had, at some point, switched to the shotgun "Wolf-A"—
Bang!
The demon's right shoulder was shattered, Dante seized the opportunity to lunge forward, Rebellion slashing upwards from below:
"Rising Dragon!"
The blade light transformed into a crimson giant dragon, launching the demon a hundred meters into the sky.
Dante's figure appeared like a ghost above the demon, wielding Rebellion with both hands and striking down:
"Overdrive!"
This slash sent the demon crashing back to the ground, creating a fifty-meter diameter Impact crater.
As the demon struggled in the pit, Dante had already assumed his ultimate stance—Rebellion extended a dazzling energy blade.
"Jackpot!"
The crimson blade light pierced through heaven and earth, splitting the battlefield in two.
The Impact dispersed the blood clouds, and moonlight once again shone down.
When the smoke and dust dispersed, the demon knelt at the end of the gully, his entire body shattered.
He looked at his disintegrating body in disbelief, then at Dante who was approaching.
"I told you ~" Dante rested Rebellion on his shoulder, a characteristic smile on his lips, "Professional matters should be handled by professionals."
The demon dissipated into red light particles.
Dante bent down and picked up a small piece of the demon's horn, looking at it against the moonlight: "A nice souvenir."
— — — — — —
After Tony and his group left the battlefield of Dante and the demon, they rushed to Devon County Cathedral.
The cathedral's spire cast a distorted Shadow under the Blood Moon.
Just as Tony's armor finished scanning the cathedral's main door, Jarvis suddenly issued an urgent warning: "Sir, high-energy reaction—"
The cathedral door exploded violently, and a huge pillar of Fire erupted from within.
Tony and the others quickly dodged, and when they straightened up, someone was already flying in mid-air outside the cathedral.
"Bucky?" Steve's voice was a little hoarse.
The floating armor had completely changed its appearance—lava-like patterns flowed at the joints, the faceplate was transformed into the shape of a demon skull, and the eyes emitted a sinister green fel energy light.
Most unsettlingly, six mechanical tentacles extended from the back of the armor, each tip embedded with a rotating demon eye.
The Shadow of the cathedral spire suddenly twisted and deformed.
Bucky's armor floated beneath the Blood Moon, and the six mechanical tentacles writhed like living things.
When Steve called out that name, the demon faceplate 'clicked' open, revealing half of his face already demonized, with red and black keratin covering the right side of his cheek, and the whites of his eyes completely filled with a sinister green.
Bucky's mouth tore to his earlobes, revealing shark-like fangs: "Steve..." His voice carried a triple reverb, "Are you here to die?"
"You're being controlled!" Steve shouted, "HYDRA's brainwashing—"
"Brainwashing?" Bucky suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, "I willingly accepted the Hellfire contract!"
He tapped his chest plate, which automatically opened, revealing the demon core embedded in the reactor's position—that pulsating dark red heart continuously pumped out liquid fel energy.
Tony's scanner screamed wildly: "Energy readings have exceeded a quadrillion joules!"
"Why?" Steve's fists trembled.
Bucky's mechanical tentacles suddenly tensed, and the six demon eyes simultaneously locked onto Steve.
He tilted his head, and the face covered in keratin twisted into a grotesque Arc Light—
"No reason."
The triple-reverberated voice seeped from the faceplate's seams, "Because I want to."
The mechanical tentacles suddenly surged!
The demon eyes at each tip simultaneously burst forth with sinister green rays, weaving into a Deathly net of light that descended!
"Including killing you."
The moment the faceplate slammed shut, Bucky plunged down like a cannonball!
The claws on his right arm were wreathed in liquid fel energy, leaving five dark red trails in the air!
Tony's thrusters went full power: "Scatter!"
Boom—!!!
The Vibranium claws collided with Steve's Star Shield, and the resulting Impact shattered the fountain statue in front of the cathedral!
Bucky's mechanical tentacles stabbed from various tricky angles like living things, each accompanied by a piercing whoosh!
"Bucky!" Steve's arm muscles bulged, and the Star Shield burst forth with dazzling light, "Wake up!"
"I'm wide awake!" Bucky's offensive grew more frantic.
The six tentacles suddenly changed their attack mode—three coiled around the Star Shield, while the other three, like spears, aimed directly for Steve's throat!
In the nick of time, a red and gold figure crashed in from the side.
Tony's palm cannon fired at full power, forcing Bucky back several meters: "Captain! He won't listen now!"
Hulk roared, leaping from the ruins, his green giant fist, accompanied by a sonic boom, smashed towards Bucky: "Hulk Smash!"
Bucky sneered, and the demon core in his chest suddenly pulsed.
The mechanical tentacles on his back instantly reassembled, weaving into a fel energy shield—
Thump!!!
Hulk's fist struck the shield, and the recoil actually sent him flying backward!
Bucky took advantage of the momentum to leap into the air, his six tentacles spreading out like a peacock's tail, and the demon eyes at each tip began to charge!
"Warning! Energy readings have exceeded critical!" Jarvis's voice was urgent.
Tony immediately activated all defensive matrices: "All personnel, defensive stance!"
Six sinister green beams of light descended from the sky!
The moment the beams touched the ground, all the paving stones in the entire cathedral square turned to dust!
The Impact shattered all the building glass within a hundred-meter radius!
In the smoke and dust, Steve's shield showed tiny cracks.
He knelt on one knee, the Star Shield deeply embedded in the ground.
Tony's armor got up, sparking: "Damn it, I shouldn't have given up on this armor..."
Before he finished speaking, Bucky had already flashed in front of Tony!
The Vibranium claws, wreathed in liquid fel energy, went straight for the reactor: "Talkative tin man!"
"Plasma Lightspeed Fist!"
Steve's Golden Armor burst forth with dazzling light.
His fists transformed into countless golden meteors, each strike precisely hitting the joint areas of the mechanical tentacles.
A dense metallic clanging sound echoed in the air, forcing Bucky to retreat step by step.
"It's useless..." Bucky's demon faceplate emitted a low chuckle.
The six tentacles suddenly retracted into a defensive stance, "Your mercy will kill everyone."
Steve's boxing style suddenly changed—a feint with his left fist, while his right fist, at a tricky angle, pierced through the tentacle defense, landing squarely on Bucky's chest!
"Bang!"
The demon core was temporarily extinguished by this punch, and Bucky staggered back three steps.
Steve seized the opportunity, and as his golden cape fluttered, his legs transformed into a golden whirlwind:
Seven consecutive kicks all hit the base of the tentacles, and the last kick sent Bucky flying into the cathedral's outer wall.
Amidst flying debris, cracks appeared on Bucky's faceplate.
"Captain! He's absorbing our attack energy!" Tony's warning came through the communicator.
Indeed, the demon core in Bucky's chest pulsed violently, and dark red light seeped through the cracks.
He slowly stood up, his tentacles twisting and reassembling in a bizarre manner.
"Is this all you've got?" Bucky's voice carried disdain, "It's not even enough for a warm-up."
Steve adopted a defensive stance: "Bucky, I know you can hear me..."
"Ha!" Bucky suddenly surged, three tentacles going straight for Steve's throat, while the other three turned towards the charging Hulk!
"Hulk, watch out!" Steve shouted.
Too late.
Pfft!
Three tentacles pierced Hulk's abdomen, and the demon eyes began to release tearing energy!
"Roar—!" Hulk let out a painful roar, and his green skin began to crack.
Bucky's faceplate completely split open, revealing a grotesque smile: "Starting with this green trash..."
"No!" Steve's pupils contracted violently.
Facing such a situation, Steve was still struggling.
"Steve! If you keep hesitating! Hulk is going to die!" Tony's furious roar exploded in the communicator.
His armor was already heavily damaged, and the laser sword on his left arm collided fiercely with Bucky's tentacles, emitting dazzling sparks.
Steve looked up—Hulk was impaled through the abdomen by three tentacles, and his green skin was being corroded into grayish-black at a visible rate.
Bucky's demon eyes flickered with cruel light, and the tentacles began to slowly rotate, attempting to completely tear Hulk's body apart.
"I'm sorry... Bucky..." Steve's voice trembled, and a phantom of a lion's head lit up on his fist.
Bucky seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head.
Beneath his cracked faceplate, a hint of surprise flashed in his demonized right eye: "You...?"
"Plasma Lightspeed Fist!"
Countless fist shadows appeared in the air, each punch containing the power of constellations, and the punch speed broke through the speed of light barrier!
Bucky's tentacles snapped inch by inch in the face of absolute power, and Hulk finally broke free.
"Impossible..." Bucky looked at his shattered mechanical limbs, "How could you..."
"No... stop!" Steve found that he couldn't control his own strength.
He wanted to hold back, but the fist shadows still covered the sky and earth.
The golden fist light, like a sharp sword piercing through heaven and earth, directly penetrated Bucky's chest.
The demon core disintegrated in the dazzling light, and a huge void was blasted into Bucky's mechanical body.
"Cough... well done... Steve..." Black blood overflowed from Bucky's mouth, yet he revealed a grotesque smile.
His mechanical claws suddenly grabbed Steve's shoulder, and the remaining demon eyes flickered with mad light.
Pfft!
With the final blow, Bucky's claws deeply pierced Steve's abdomen.
"Captain!" Tony's thrusters went full power, instantly rushing to their side.
He helped the staggering Steve, and the armor immediately sprayed hemostatic gel.
"Medical spray! Hang in there!" Tony's voice was anxious, and he simultaneously turned to Hulk, "Jarvis, analyze Hulk's injuries!"
Bucky's body began to disintegrate, and his armor scattered like Black snowflakes.
His faceplate flickered one last time, and a fragmented electronic voice said:
"Heh, Steve, I'll be... waiting for you in Hellfire...."
As the last mechanical fragment turned to ash, Steve knelt on the ground, the light of his Golden Armor dimming.
Tony quickly injected him with nano-repair fluid: "Don't move, the wound is very deep.
Hulk's situation is worse; those tentacles injected some kind of corrosive substance..."
Hulk lay weakly in the ruins, Tony's medical drone performing emergency treatment on him.
"I... killed him..." Steve stared at his fists, stained with black blood, his voice hoarse.
Tony was silent for a moment, the expression beneath his faceplate complex: "You saved all of us, Captain.
That... wasn't Bucky anymore."
In the distance, a bloody blade of light pierced through heaven and earth, splitting the battlefield in two.
The Impact scattered the Blood Cloud, and moonlight once again fell.
The moment the blade light touched Devon County Cathedral, the ancient stone structure was cut cleanly, and the split stained glass refracted an eerie light in the air, the heads of the saints slowly sliding down along the smooth cut surface.
The cathedral door turned to dust silently.
William had just stepped out of the cathedral door, intending to reap the battlefield, but was pierced through the body by the bloody blade light.
"This can't be..."
Before he finished speaking, his body separated along a perfect straight line, and his body fell from both sides.
"Done, time to go home." Dante appeared not far away at some point.
He looked at the dejected Steve, the anxious Tony, and the weak Hulk, shrugged, and pressed his earpiece.
"Blue-haired kitten, we need you here."
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)