— Dante, why do you insist on going through with this? Don't you understand how dangerous it is? You treat this as just another goal, another milestone… but you could really die.
Hearing those words, while looking into Viviane's eyes, Dante felt confused.
Why was she almost crying? He would never die.
Perhaps it was the third time she had asked him not to take part in the Hunt of Death, but it would make his path easier, so Dante didn't care much about her pleas.
Yet, with every word she spoke, he felt a strange sting in his heart — as if he were doing something wrong.
But what was that feeling? He truly didn't understand.
Wiping her eyes, Viviane seemed to brush away something before looking at Dante one last time, her eyes filled with tears.
— Don't die… — her voice came out hoarse as she turned and walked away.
Tuum. Tuum. Tuum.
Dante's heart began to pound heavily on the battlefield. He remembered Viviane's pleas, and something inside his mind shifted.
Coming back alive was no longer just a matter of victory.
That feeling forming within him was something simple — yet immensely powerful.
But without his memories, Dante felt utterly lost.
Even so, something had changed.
It was no longer about slaying the lion — it was about survival.
The bow flew from his hand, followed by a loud explosion.
Dante had destroyed the weapon's core, creating a massive cloud of smoke.
Raaaw!
The lion's roar echoed, filled with rage and confusion at the human's actions.
Unfortunately for the beast, there was no chance of victory, for strangely enough…
Dante wanted to see Viviane.
The crimson lion charged violently toward him, but as it broke through the curtain of smoke, a spear came crashing down upon its eye.
A swift kick struck its face, followed by a bite from the small serpent — all at once — leaving the beast stunned.
This being… the one who was nearly dead — recovered?
Perhaps a skill? The lion's confused thoughts were almost palpable.
Caught off guard by the sudden assault, the great lion couldn't react in time and took the blows head-on.
But of course, that was nowhere near enough.
Another roar erupted, trying to drive Dante away — but he would not stop.
His very survival depended on this victory.
He no longer had the strength to flee, and now he desperately wanted to live.
Only the beast's nourishing flesh could sustain him.
The lion's heart was meant to be preserved to cultivate a technique.
However, the old Tyler had told him to devour it — flesh and blood — and use its bones and skin to forge an exoskeleton.
— COME, BEAST!!! — Dante shouted with fierce excitement as he charged toward the creature.
The spear he wielded held a unique trait — as expected.
After all, if it were merely sturdy, it wouldn't deserve the title of pseudo-spiritual.
It contained a small beast core and could store seven threads of mana, meaning Dante could unleash seven strikes with the power of a Level 1, one-star cultivator — the weakest of that rank, of course.
Dante lunged forward, and a faint thread of mana flowed into the spear's tip.
Energy surged around it, and he struck at the lion's left flank.
For the first time, a cut was made.
1.
But that was only the beginning.
The lion roared in pain and swung a massive claw at Dante, who dodged by propelling himself with the spear.
2.
Dante didn't miss the chance.
Another attack struck the lion's left rib — this time a thrust that pierced through the previous wound, pushing the beast back and making it roar in agony.
3.
Yet Dante still did not yield.
The spear, still lodged within the beast, twisted as he spun it upward, slicing through and releasing a torrent of blood.
4.
The beast went mad. Its fangs gleamed gold, and, ignoring the pain, it lunged at Dante with a brutal bite followed by slashing claws.
Dante was forced to retreat under the relentless assault, channeling another thread of mana to defend — cracks forming along the spear from the pressure.
5.
But it still wasn't over.
The beast attacked with pure insanity, without mercy, growing more savage with each strike.
Shiii!
A bite from the small serpent struck the lion's wounded side, deepening its pain and driving it further into fury.
Suddenly, the beast charged at Dante in a furious sprint.
He used his spear as leverage to propel himself upward — preparing his final blow.
6.
From above, he saw the lion hesitate for a brief instant.
The final thread of mana flowed into the spear.
His body spun — and he began to fall.
The spear's tip aligned perfectly with the upper left side of the beast's ribs.
Boom!
The spear drove down, ripping through the ribcage from the inside out.
Raaaw!
A roar of hatred, pain, and defiance echoed from the lion's maw before its body collapsed heavily to the ground.
The beast was dead.
DANTE WAS THE FINAL VICTOR!!!