two sides, one will.

Three figures, each clad in a different robe, navigated the dimly lit interior of a building. The woman in the blue robe dragged Dante along the ground, her chains binding him in place. The man in the black robe walked calmly, his footsteps echoing through the corridor, and let out a deep sigh.

"I hope this goes more smoothly," he said in a commanding voice. "We already have one rat in custody, and the other is still at large. Emily, keep a close eye on this one for now."

"Okay... ugh..." Emily replied in an annoyed tone, but she complied nonetheless.

After a while of walking, they arrived at a door, which the person in black robes opened. Inside, they found two more individuals: one in a gray robe and another in a dark green robe.

"They've arrived... Do you have the boy?" the person in gray robes asked in a hoarse voice. The person in black robes responded, "Yes, here he is, Emily."

Emily tossed Dante, still chained, in front of the person in gray robes. He stood up and approached Dante, bending down to examine him. "So, this is the boy who foiled James' mission... His Mana is indeed impressive..."

He grasped Dante's hair and stared at him. "He's young, quite young... At least James described his appearance to me..." His hoarse voice echoed through the room.

"Well, it seems I wasted my money on something James couldn't complete, but it was a temporary measure to try and speed things up. We'll proceed with the secondary plan now that Hector is dead..." The person in gray robes said, his eyes fixed on Dante.

"Tch, that idiot..." Emily complained in an annoyed voice. The person in gray robes added, "A Rank S or higher must have attacked Hector. A Rank A would have struggled against him, but he's dead... It's disappointing..."

The room fell silent for a few seconds, the tension palpable. The person in gray robes released Dante's hair and said, "Time is running out before the event begins. We need to find the Keplar girl; she'll be useful in the future..."

"Yeah, that's our next move. Karnel and I will go after the other rat..." the person in the black robe said, his imposing voice commanding attention.

"Alright, alright... keep an eye on the boy. He'll be a nuisance, but he might prove useful in the future," the person in the gray robe whispered. The person in the green robe behind him subtly moved his hand, and plants began to sprout from the ground. The plants rapidly grew in size, and large roots emerged, wrapping around Dante and pinning him against the wall.

Emily manipulated her chains, and they constricted Dante even further. "Don't worry, I'll stay and keep watch. He won't escape, and I haven't even used any of my tricks yet," she said with a hint of confidence.

"Alright... the boy seems to be in a deep sleep. Keep an eye on him, and we'll attend to our business..." the person in the gray robe said, his eyes lingering on Dante for a moment. He turned to leave, walking towards the door. "Let's go... it's time for the show to begin..."

As they began to leave, the person in the green robes walked alongside Emily and whispered, "The roots will slowly drain the boy's vitality. If he somehow awakens and tries to escape, he'll be weak enough for you to subdue him. Don't disappoint the boss, or you'll face the consequences..."

Emily felt a shiver run down her spine and hastily replied, "Y-yes!"

The person in the dark green robes departed the room, leaving Emily alone with Dante. She gazed at him and muttered, "Well... time to keep watch..."

Emily turned around, picked up a chair, and adjusted her robes before sitting down. She gazed at Dante with interest and said, "It seems the boss is really interested in you, huh?"

"You're quite strong, boy," Emily murmured, a small smile playing on her lips. "We probably would have had a tough time if Matthew hadn't arrived..."

--

Clouds drifted lazily across the endless blue sky, and the ground below seemed to ripple like water, though it was eerily still. The water was so pure that it created a perfect reflection of the sky above, but with a twist: it showed an alternate version of the sky, one that was a deep crimson red with orange clouds scattered across it.

A doppelganger of Dante, with his hair falling over his eyes, smiled to himself as he looked at the original Dante, who was kneeling on the ground, his limbs bound by thick, heavy chains. The doppelganger's smile seemed to have a hint of mischief and curiosity.

The doppelganger strolled around Dante, whistling a gentle tune. "Haa... the sound of the sea is so comforting, entering through the ears and reaching the soul. Our soul, so beautiful and strong... our beautiful and lovely soul..."

Dante let out a sigh of frustration and tried to move his neck, but it wouldn't budge. He settled for a sigh of annoyance and asked, "Hey, who are you?"

The doppelganger ignored Dante's question and continued his leisurely stroll. "The sound of birds flying through the skies, animals hunting and being hunted, humans going on with their lives... a perfect and harmonious balance. That perfect balance..."

Dante's teeth gritted in frustration as he demanded, "WHERE AM I?!"

The doppelganger stopped walking and stood behind Dante, his arms spread wide in a dramatic gesture. "You need to be blessed, a beautiful blessing..."

Dante's response was cut off as the doppelganger grabbed his head and dunked it into the sea. Dante accidentally inhaled water, and the doppelganger pulled his head back out, a macabre grin spreading across his face. "Haa... divine blessing, cursed blessing..."

Dante coughed violently as water spewed out of his mouth. The doppelganger simply smiled and said, "There's still more... Son of Sparda, there's still more..."

Suddenly, the doppelganger grabbed Dante by the head and submerged it back into the water. "COME ON!! GET THE BLESSING!! SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN REALLY DO!! BREAK THE BALANCE OF THE WORLD!! DANTE SPARDA!! BREAK IT!!"

The chains binding Dante began to crack and shatter, and a hand shot out to grab the doppelganger's head, sending him flying into the air. Dante yanked his head out of the water and coughed as he rapidly inhaled air.

"S-shit..." he muttered, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he stood up. His mind was racing at maximum capacity, warning him of the great danger that lurked nearby. He crouched down just in time, dodging a swift attack from the doppelganger, who now wielded Rebellion in his hand. A vertical slash appeared on the ground, cleaving the sea into two parts, the cut stretching out to what seemed like infinity.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!! COME ON DANTE!! SHOW ME YOUR WILL!!" the doppelganger shouted as he landed next to Dante, his eyes gleaming with maniacal intensity. Dante quickly dodged the doppelganger's attacks with Rebellion, his movements lightning-fast as he tried to keep up with the doppelganger's frenzied assault.

Dante gritted his teeth and tried to summon Rebellion, but to his frustration, he couldn't. "OH COME ON!!" he shouted in anger, his face twisted in a snarl as he struggled to call forth the sword that was his property.

The doppelganger smiled disdainfully, clearly enjoying Dante's distress. "Oh... you want this back...? Try to take it from me..." he taunted, his eyes glinting with mockery.

Dante clicked his tongue in annoyance and said, "Well... I'm still strong without the sword, so..."

With a sudden burst of speed, Dante vanished and reappeared in a flash, launching a kick infused with demonic energy at the doppelganger's head. However, the doppelganger was no slouch, and with terrifying speed, he crouched down and grabbed Dante's leg, squeezing it hard. He then threw Dante to the ground with a vicious motion, causing the sea to ripple with such force that a massive wave shot up into the sky.

"AARRGHHH!" Dante screamed in agony as he felt a searing pain in his back, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Suddenly, enormous red hands burst out of the water, grabbing Dante with a crushing force that left him gasping for breath.

"WHAT THE!?" Dante screamed in disbelief at the incredible strength exerted by the giant hands, his eyes wide with terror as he struggled to break free from their grip. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the crushing pressure.

Suddenly, the hands began to sink into the depths of the sea, and a deafening cry of anger echoed from the bottom of the ocean, causing the sea to rumble violently.

The doppelganger couldn't help but smile non-stop, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he gazed at Rebellion. "Well, I finally have this beauty... I will use you as I should have always used you..."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the vast alternate sea, Dante watched in horror as he flew through the air and crashed into the sea. But instead of splashing into the water, he hit the surface with a jarring impact, and he moaned in pain. "Shit..."

He looked up at the crimson sky and the orange clouds that seemed to stretch on forever. He quickly scrambled to his feet and exclaimed, "No... SHIT!"

He gazed at the ground and then at the blue sky, the alternate sky, where he saw his doppelganger standing with a triumphant smile, Rebellion in hand. Dante's face twisted in rage, and he slammed his fist into the ground, shouting, "SON OF A BITCH!! GIVE ME BACK MY SWORD!!"

A terrifying voice boomed from behind him, "Haha... Dante Sparda, your will is weak... your human will is not worthy..." Dante spun around to see hands bursting out of the ground, grabbing him with an unyielding grip. He struggled to break free, shouting, "LET ME GO!!"

The hands continued to emerge from the ground, the crystalline sea began to darken, and the sky grew cloudy with an endless swarm of orange clouds. Dante tried to escape the grasp of the hands, but they held him fast.

"Give up..."

"You're not worthy..."

"It won't do..."

The voices echoed in his mind, but Dante refused to back down. "FUUCK!!"

The hands began to drag Dante down into the dark, black depths of the sea. Slowly but surely, he began to sink, his struggles growing weaker with each passing moment.

Dante sank completely into the dark, black depths of the sea. His hands began to sink again, but just before he disappeared from view, he caught a glimpse of something.

[DANGER!! UNCONTROLLED DEMONIC ENERGY!!]

[THE HOST'S WILL IS CEASING!]

[ENERGY DECLINE BEGINNING!!]

On the other side, the doppelganger slung the sword over his shoulder and began walking in a different direction. However, he suddenly stumbled and clutched at his nose, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw the blood gushing out of his nostrils.

"Ha...HAHAHAHAHA!! NO WAY!! AT LEAST I WANT TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN!!" he bellowed with a maniacal grin, punching the air in excitement. But instead of the usual sound of a fist hitting nothing, a loud thud echoed through the endless expanse of the blue sky, as if he had struck something solid.

Cracks in reality itself began to appear in front of the doppelganger, spreading rapidly like a network of fine lines. He raised the sword and struck at the cracks, and reality itself began to tear apart. A massive gash appeared in space, and the doppelganger reached out to grab a part of the crack, pulling it aside with his hand. The crack continued to spread, growing wider and deeper until it finally opened up.

"Ha...hahaha...HAHAHAHA! FINALLY!!" The doppelganger screamed, his eyes blazing with excitement. Without hesitation, he leapt into the crack, disappearing into the unknown.

--

On a large island far from Karkubia, a medium-sized building stood amidst a lush landscape of trees and distant mountains. Inside the building, several dark rooms were scattered, but one room was lit, illuminating Emily as she stared at Dante, who was pinned against the wall.

"Haa... how boring..." Emily complained, stretching her arms with a mixture of boredom and frustration. Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her spine, and the air grew cold. She began to tremble, muttering "b-but what...?"

The ground beneath her feet cracked and shattered, and cracks spread throughout the room. Emily's eyes widened in surprise as blue Mana burst out of Dante, filling the room with an otherworldly energy. The air was out of control, and Emily covered herself with her arms, shouting "what the fuck!?"

Just as suddenly, the Mana ceased, leaving Emily feeling drained and empty. "Is it over?" she muttered, still trembling from the sudden event.

But her relief was short-lived. A cold sweat broke out on her skin, and her heart began to beat rapidly. Tears streamed down her face, and her body shook like a leaf. She looked like a small, trembling puppy, overcome with fear.

"Ah...ah...eh?" she stammered, feeling her heart seem to explode from a familiar feeling - terror.

A blood-red aura began to emanate from Dante, slowly covering the room. Emily's eyes fixed on the crimson aura, and she whispered "eh?"

Suddenly, she was forced to her knees by an unseen force. The ground beneath her cracked and shattered, and tears streamed down her face. She couldn't stop crying, her body, heart, and soul overcome with a primal fear.

"Haa..." a low, ominous exhalation echoed through the room. Emily didn't want to look at what was in front of her, her mind consumed by terror. Her body refused to look, but her eyes were drawn to the horror before her.

She heard the sound of the wall in front of her shattering, and blood gushed from her mouth as her chains broke apart. Her nose began to bleed, and footsteps echoed through the room, growing louder with each passing moment.

The air was cold, so cold that it seemed to have a life of its own. Emily looked up to see feet in front of her, but they were not human feet. They were demonic, with claws protruding from the toes. The feet were obsidian black, and Emily's heart sank.

She gritted her teeth and dared to look up, but what she saw was not human. Crimson eyes stared back at her, and a monstrous face twisted into a snarl. The creature's mouth was filled with teeth, and its presence seemed to destroy Emily's body from the inside out.

"ah...ah...." Emily muttered, her words meaningless as she cried tears of blood. The creature's presence was suffocating, and she felt her body begin to break apart.

"haa..." the monster inhaled, and the air grew even colder. The walls cracked and shattered, and Emily's body was torn apart. Half of her body was ripped from her torso, and her blood sprayed through the air, staining the ground. Her organs spilled out, and she fell to the ground, her body broken and lifeless.

The monster growled, and a sword appeared in its hand. With a casual movement, the wall was destroyed, and the building was torn apart. The air roared, and the ground shook, cracks spreading across the ground like a spider's web.

[Your demonic side has temporarily taken over your body!]

[You have gained a new ability: DEVIL TRIGGER!]

Suddenly, the monster vanished in the blink of an eye.

Near a mountain, a massive explosion rocked the air, and a chunk of the mountain was shattered, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. A colossal amount of crimson energy erupted into the sky, and the mountain was completely obliterated. The wind howled with a deafening roar, resembling a massive tornado that ravaged the surrounding trees and animals.

A small, red dot rose into the sky, and dozens of demonic circles materialized above. The red dot began to jump between the circles with incredible speed, leaving a trail of crimson energy in its wake. It moved so fast that it appeared as a blur, a mere stain on the horizon. Suddenly, it changed direction and shot through the sky, hurtling towards Karkubia with unbridled ferocity.