Continuing the story, our protagonists are overwhelmed by the enormous monster before them. Dante and Rex exchange glances, and when they turn to look at Malekin, he has already vanished. Malekin's voice is heard saying, "Good luck."
DANTE HERALDI: That damn man abandoned us, he didn't tell us not to separate; who understands him.
REX: Yes, I know. DANTE, WATCH OUT!
Suddenly, the monster closes the distance at incredible speed, surprising them and unleashing a horizontal slash. Dante and Rex barely manage to dodge, and when they realize it, the monster's slash has cut down a dozen trees.
DANTE HERALDI: What the hell is that strength? Not only does it look monstrous, but so do its abilities.
REX: Dante, quick, on guard! Here it comes.
The axe monster chases our protagonists with his axe; on a high branch, MALEKIN is watching everything.
MALEKIN: I hope this guy isn't too difficult for them, but they need to train with guys like this if they want to get stronger.
DANTE HERALDI: (running from the axe-wielding monster) Damn it, how do we defeat it? It's really strong; well, I'll use "examine" to see what we have first.
Suddenly, MALEKIN's voice is heard in the distance.
MALEKIN: DON'T USE THAT POWER BECAUSE IF YOU SEE IT, I'LL STOP TRAINING YOU AND YOU'LL DIE HERE ALONE.
DANTE, worried, wonders what he meant by all that, but he has no choice and stops.
DANTE HERALDI: I don't know why he said that, but if that's the case, I won't run away anymore; I'll just face him. REX, are you ready?
REX: Yes, DANTE, let's get him.
Our friends brace themselves for the fight. Dante takes his stance, gripping his sword firmly; using his 'Wolf Speed,' he manages to dash behind the monster to strike. Rex launches a fireball, catching the creature by surprise, causing it to toss the head it was holding in its right hand into the air. With its bare hand, the monster stops the fireball while parrying Dante's attack with its axe, leaving them stunned by its resourcefulness.
Immediately, the monster catches its falling head and lunges a kick at Dante, who manages to block it just in time with his sword. To counter the beast, Rex activates his 'True Form' ability, increasing his size and unleashing a massive fireball. Dante, seeing the raw power of his friend, is forced to dodge as the blast heads his way, but the monster remains unfazed—it slices the fireball clean in half with its axe, leaving everyone in shock.
DANTE HERALDI: (In his mind) Damn it, this thing is too strong and cunning. How are we supposed to beat it? And to top it off, Malekin isn't letting me examine it.
REX: DANTE, WATCH OUT!
Lost in thought, DANTE takes a direct hit; the monster lands a heavy kick to his ribs, sending him flying. He crashes through several trees, snapping them like twigs before hitting the ground hard. REX unleashes a barrage of fireballs, using the opening to rush to Dante's side.
REX: Are you okay, Dante?
DANTE HERALDI: Damn... I think he broke a rib.
REX: Get up, fast! That thing is definitely coming back for more.
DANTE manages to get to his feet with difficulty, healing himself with his powers. He sees that, despite REX's attack, the monster only has a few scratches.
DANTE HERALDI: Rex, at least your attacks seem to be doing some damage.
REX: You think so? Maybe, but he's still moving just fine.
The monster lunges at them, swinging its axe vertically and shattering the ground as they narrowly dive out of the way. DANTE begins to channel energy into his blade.
DANTE HERALDI: Rex, can you buy me some time?
REX: I don't know, but I'll do my best. Five minutes is the most I can give you.
DANTE HERALDI: That's more than enough. Go, distract him!
REX throws himself at the monster, snapping at it with his jaws while dodging the lethal swings of the axe. They clash at high speeds, but the gap in power is obvious—Rex begins to suffer small cuts all over his body. Meanwhile, DANTE continues to focus his power. Suddenly, an idea strikes him; he closes his eyes, and within seconds, a dark aura begins to envelop his body. MALEKIN watches from the distance.
MALEKIN: Impressive... he actually managed to tap into that power. Now I see why Bell has his eye on him.
DANTE is now surrounded by a translucent black aura. He snaps his eyes open just in time to see that while REX managed to hurt the monster, he now lies on the ground in his normal size, wounded and facing a lethal blow.
Instantly, DANTE charges at the monster with incredible speed. The beast realizes the threat and manages to block the massive strike, but the force is so great that it's sent flying, crashing violently into a massive boulder. DANTE quickly checks on REX. The dog opens his eyes.
REX: (Injured, barely moving) You didn't say five minutes... it took you six.
DANTE HERALDI: Sorry, partner. Rest for a bit while your healing kicks in; I'll handle this thing.
REX: With that power, I think you'll take him. Go get 'em, tiger... heh. (He closes his eyes to rest).
DANTE turns to face the axe monster and sees it already walking toward him. They stop just two meters apart; the atmosphere is thick with tension. Suddenly, the sound of a baby crying pierces the air, and the fight begins. The monster tosses its head into the sky, but this time, it stays there, levitating. DANTE lunges, striking with his sword, but the monster grips its axe with both hands, successfully parrying the blow. Dante is stunned that the creature could withstand his strength. He unleashes a flurry of strikes, one after another, but the monster blocks every single one.
Finding an opening, DANTE maneuvers behind the monster to deliver a killing blow, but the creature blocks him effortlessly without even turning around. Drenched in sweat and shocked that the monster could guard its blind spot so perfectly, DANTE looks up. He sees the floating head staring down at him coldly, its eyes glowing with a sinister red light.
DANTE realizes the truth: the head is feeding orders to the body, acting as its eyes and ears; that's why no attack, no matter how fast, can land. DANTE fires a "Shadow Slash" at the head, but the body throws itself in the way, blocking the projectile. Before the monster's body can even hit the ground, DANTE closes the distance to strike again, but the body continues to parry everything—even the hits that seemed impossible to dodge.
Frustrated, DANTE decides to pour more energy into his aura to increase his power, but the monster immediately goes on the offensive to keep him from charging up. Minutes pass, and DANTE begins to tire from the high-speed combat; his dark aura starts to flicker and fade. The monster lunges, ready to exploit his exhaustion, when suddenly—a deafening blast echoes through the area. The head slammed into the ground and the body collapsed instantly. It was REX, who had launched a fireball at the head. REX screams:
REX: NOW, DANTE! THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!
DANTE HERALDI: (Smiling) Good boy.
DANTE seizes the opening and lunges at the body. With staggering speed, he lands a series of slashes all over the creature, forcing the monster to drop its axe. As it falls to the ground, DANTE sits down, smiling and thinking it's finally over. His aura vanishes, but suddenly, the body lurches upward, attempting to crush Dante with a punch.
Before it can strike, a high-speed shadow delivers a kick that slams the body into a rock. It was MALEKIN. Holding the monster's head in his left hand, he glares at Dante.
MALEKIN: Hey, Dante, what the hell is wrong with you? You almost died just now. You dropped your guard, you idiot.
DANTE HERALDI: (Leaning back on the ground) I'm sorry... I couldn't... hold it any longer. That thing is too strong.
MALEKIN: Fine, I'll let it slide this once. The dog put in a lot of effort too. Alright, we're done for today. Here— (He tosses the monster's head to him) —finish it off quickly and take the experience. That'll make you stronger.
DANTE HERALDI: Dammit, I feel like I don't deserve it. I didn't actually manage to defeat it on my own.
MALEKIN: Whatever, it doesn't matter. In the end, you gained a new ability. Kill it and check your stats.
DANTE HERALDI: (Sighing)Fine... alright.
DANTE slices the head in half with his sword, gaining the experience. The familiar voice echoes, informing him that he has leveled up several times.
DANTE HERALDI: This is incredible, I leveled up a lot. What level was that thing? You didn't let me see it—by the way, why did you do that?
MALEKIN: That thing was roughly level 150, I'd guess, based on what you told me.
DANTE HERALDI: What the hell?! It could have killed me, Malekin! Why would you do that?
MALEKIN: Don't be an idiot. What would you have done? Aside from being terrified, tell me: would you have fought any differently if you had known its level? Don't be ridiculous. That "Examine" skill of yours makes you hesitate during a fight; it limits your power. Only use it for things like food or when you're facing multiple enemies at once. But in a duel? It's pathetic. From now on, using that skill is forbidden during this training. Got it?
DANTE HERALDI: Fine, you're right. But don't make me fight enemies so much stronger than me. Look at the state Rex is in.
MALEKIN: Don't worry, you'll never be in real danger as long as I'm here. Let's rest until the day ends so you both can heal faster.
They spend the night in the forest. Thanks to MALEKIN'S presence, not a single monster dares to approach, allowing them to sleep and recover. Early the next morning, they continue their journey, encountering various monsters—some stranger than others, like skull-faced women and goblins that cast fire, water, and lightning. They defeat them all.
A few weeks pass, and early one morning, they reach a massive lake. Palm trees lined the shores, and the lake itself looked like a flooded forest. Along the water's edge sat ancient clay jars. While the others admire the landscape in awe, MALEKIN looks on, appearing somewhat troubled.
DANTE HERALDI: Sir Malekin, you look a bit on edge. What's going on?
MALEKIN: Well, you see, there are some monsters here that I think will be… a bit complicated.
Suddenly, a bizarre creature emerges from the water. It resembles a black feline, but its paws are human hands, and the tip of its tail ends in another human hand. Small spikes line its neck, and it lets out a shriek that sounds exactly like a crying baby.
DANTE HERALDI: Good God... was that thing the one making that annoying noise?
MALEKIN: Exactly. Everyone, meet the Ahuizotl—or the "water thorny one," because of those spikes, heh.
DANTE HERALDI: That thing doesn't look so dangerous.
REX: Yeah, I could probably take it down by myself.
MALEKIN: Oh, you think so? Well, truth be told, you could. It wasn't that single one making me nervous, but rather the way they fight.
DANTE HERALDI: What?
REX: What?
Suddenly, a pack of those creatures swarms out of the water—about fifty of them. Some climb the palm trees, glaring down with eyes full of rage, while others shriek like infants, sending a chill of fear through our friends. DANTE and REX immediately try to back away, but they slam into an invisible barrier and fall.
MALEKIN: What? Did you think you weren't going to fight? Hahaha! Get 'em, boys! And remember: "Examine" is forbidden.
DANTE HERALDI: But you said—
MALEKIN: No buts! Now get to it!
DANTE HERALDI: Damn you, Malekin. Seriously.
REX: (Nervous and trembling) Hey, Dante... these things are creeping me out, and they supposedly look like me.
DANTE HERALDI: Chin up, Rex! we'll wipe these things out in no time.
Our friends charge at the demon dogs, and a relentless slaughter begins as they take down the monsters one by one. The creatures defend themselves by firing spikes, dragging our heroes with their many hands, and biting down hard. Suddenly, Malekin's voice rings out:
MALEKIN: Dante! Don't get too close to those clay jars!
DANTE hadn't noticed he was drifting toward one of the jars when a massive wave suddenly surged out, dragging him into the lake. Underwater, Dante snaps his eyes open only to see a gargantuan mouth closing in on him. He manages to block it with his sword, and the force pushes him back out of the water. He realizes it's a massive black serpent with scales so brilliant they look polished. Terrified, Dante breaks free from the serpent as it dives back into the lake.
DANTE HERALDI: What the hell was that, Malekin?! (Rex was also trembling at the sight of the giant snake).
MALEKIN: Heh, I forgot to mention that creature lives in the lake. Its name is Xicalcoatl, the Serpent of the Jars. If you touch or get too close to those jars, a wave will pull you into the water. Be careful.
DANTE HERALDI: Dammit! Now I don't just have to worry about these filthy dogs, but the snake too. Fine, that's it! AAAAAHHH!
After hours of a fierce and grueling battle, our friends manage to defeat all the monsters. They lie exhausted on the ground as MALEKIN approaches them.
MALEKIN: Great job, boys. You've managed to level up; I can feel your power has increased drastically.
DANTE HERALDI: Malekin, I swear, if I didn't need you, I'd kill you myself.
REX: Sir Malekin, next time, please give us a heads-up. I actually peed myself a couple of times out of pure fear.
MALEKIN: It's normal to feel fear; those things are designed to do exactly that with their cries. But I'm glad you won. You've overcome your fear, haven't you? Now you'll be able to face even stronger things without hesitation, haha. Alright, let's rest for a— Wait... (breaking into a sweat) This can't be.
DANTE HERALDI: Is something wrong, Lord Male—? What the hell is this immense power?! (He looks around frantically, trying to find the source with his "Localization" ability).
REX: (Terrified) Dante, what is that thing over there in the distance?
On the far shore, across the lake, a humanoid figure enveloped in incandescent fire appears. As it steps into the lake, the water begins to boil instantly, killing the remaining serpents within seconds.
DANTE HERALDI: What the hell is happening?! Malekin, what is that thing?
MALEKIN: (Quickly channeling energy into Dante and Rex) It can't be him... I thought he was deeper in the forest. What is he doing here?
REX: (Trembling) Sir Malekin, who or what is he?
In an instant, the water level drops, evaporating almost immediately. Our protagonists approach the shore, watching in stunned silence as the water of the entire, massive lake turns into steam.
MALEKIN: Gentlemen, what's coming is extremely dangerous. He was imprisoned in this forest by the god Mictlantekuti himself. That thing... is also a god.
DANTE HERALDI: What?! (Shocked and sweating).
REX: No way! How are we supposed to fight him? We need to get out of here, fast!
MALEKIN: It's useless. He's already locked onto us; that's why he's coming this way. I present to you the God of Fire: HUEHUETEOTL.
Suddenly, the lakebed is completely dry. The flaming figure advances toward them, stopping right in the center of the lake. He stares them down, his eyes burning with eternal flames.
What will happen in this battle after encountering a god? We'll find out in the next chapter. :)