Through the storm of ash and smoke, a figure strolled in like he had all the time in the world.
His shirt collar hung open, showing off a muscular chest and a protective charm. Silver hair swayed in the wind. Rebellion rested casually across his shoulder.
In his left hand he carried a strawberry sundae still covered in frost.
Dante stopped and glanced at Soren lying at Satan's feet. A flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes, but his usual grin stayed firmly in place.
"Hey, kid. You still breathing?"
Soren heard that familiar voice and felt the tension in his chest finally ease.
He spat out a mouthful of blood. "If you—cough—had shown up three minutes earlier, I might've had enough energy left to do a backflip for you."
"But right now, can you just shut up and start fighting?"
"Man, kids these days have zero patience," Dante sighed, rubbing his forehead. He downed the entire sundae in one go and mumbled through the cold, "I just stopped for a quick strawberry sundae and some pizza. You know how it is—Hell doesn't exactly have great takeout."
He looked at Satan, his smile turning mocking. "Ain't that right, old Luce? Few years and your fashion sense still sucks. That white suit makes you look like a host from some shady club in Japan… except you're uglier."
Satan's face darkened. The temperature around them spiked again. "Dante. You really want to stick your nose in this?"
"He killed my son. Today he pays with his soul!"
"So what?" Dante's grin faded. He swung Rebellion with one hand and drove it into the ground. "He killed your useless brat. I say he did Hell a favor."
"Besides, you came to the human world to play daddy for your kid. Now that you've hurt my nephew, I guess it's only fair I return the favor."
Satan laughed in pure rage and slammed his hand downward.
"ROAR!"
The magma flowing across the floor erupted into dozens of roaring fire dragons that surged straight at Dante.
"Wow, somebody's enthusiastic."
Dante didn't even move. Two pistols—Ebony and Ivory—appeared in his hands like magic.
Bang bang bang!
He fired without looking. Every bullet found its mark. The fire dragons exploded into harmless sparks mid-air.
The next second a streak of red lightning tore through the flames. Dante crossed hundreds of meters in an instant, Rebellion crashing down toward Satan with thunderous force.
Satan didn't dodge. He caught the blade with one clawed hand.
BOOM!
A shockwave blasted outward. Both figures vanished in a blur, clashing across the sky in red and white afterimages.
Even while trading blows at insane speed, Dante kept running his mouth.
"Damn, Luce. You been sitting on your throne in Hell so long your punches got soft. Who the hell looked at you and thought 'yeah, that's hot'? Don't tell me you made that dumb kid by yourself. Explains why he's so stupid."
"Shut your filthy mouth!"
Satan's temple twitched violently.
Just as the fight reached a fever pitch and the hospital started to collapse under the shockwaves, a blade of blue light dropped from the sky and forced them apart.
Soren forced his eyes open and looked up.
Vergil stood above them, Yamato half-drawn, silver hair untouched by the rain. His expression was ice-cold.
"Dante. You're late."
Soren's heart skipped. So Vergil had been with Dante the whole time.
"Yo, big bro. What brings you here?" Dante kept fighting Satan while throwing a grin over his shoulder. "Wanna tag in? This guy's tougher than he looks."
"Hmph. Stop wasting time."
Vergil sounded annoyed. He flicked his wrist and sheathed Yamato completely.
"Fine, fine. You really need to work on that personality. No wonder you can't get a girlfriend."
Dante shrugged, gripped Rebellion with both hands, and poured his power into it.
The ground shook violently. The concrete split apart. Several office buildings tilted, glass exploding outward.
"Crap—cough—been in Hell too long. Forgot to hold back a little."
Dante scratched his head, embarrassed. The ground beneath him had caved into a massive crater.
He drove Rebellion straight into his own abdomen.
Blood poured into the sword. The skull eyes on the blade glowed red.
A mist of demonic power wrapped around him.
When it cleared, Dante was covered in glowing red demonic armor.
Devil Trigger.
His speed and power had skyrocketed. Every step cracked the ground several inches deep.
Satan's eyes widened. Before he could react, he was launched like a ragdoll, smashing through building after building and carving a straight path across half the city before crashing into the distant mountains.
"Keep an eye on the kid."
Dante vanished in a red blur, chasing after Satan.
The area finally fell quiet except for the sound of falling rain.
Soren leaned against the rubble, breathing hard. Thanks to his Sparda bloodline, most of his wounds had already closed.
But the deep exhaustion still clung to him.
He remembered the overwhelming pressure Dante had released with just a casual swing. A single sliver of that power had turned the city into a disaster zone.
Soren looked down at his still-trembling hands, eyes burning with hunger.
"So that's… the real power of the Sparda bloodline?"
His tension finally snapped. His eyelids grew heavy. The world blurred, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Vergil drifted down from above.
He studied the deeply sleeping Soren, sensing the bloodline power inside him.
"Still weak… but that stubbornness? Exactly like that idiot when he was young."
With a flick of his wrist, a transparent barrier formed around Soren, shielding him from the distant explosions.
Vergil looked toward the mountains where Dante had disappeared. Dark red flashes lit up the sky.
"Satan… just another relic from a dead era."
He snorted, lifted his hand, and used demonic power to carry Soren away from the ruined hospital.
In the distance, sirens wailed as armed soldiers and ambulances rushed toward the scene.