The Calamity 1/2

Dante and Arthur stood side by side in the middle of a deserted street, their silhouettes framed against the overgrown ruins of what had once been a thriving city. The sky above them, which had been a vibrant blue just moments before, suddenly began to shift.

Dante's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon. Arthur, beside him, remained still, his sharp gaze fixed on the sky.

Then, the tremors began.

The ground beneath their feet rumbled, shaking the remains of the crumbling buildings around them. Broken windows rattled, and the once-still air was filled with the low, ominous hum of something ancient stirring from its slumber. Dante exchanged a glance with Arthur, the tension in the air palpable.

"Here it comes," Arthur muttered, his voice low but steady.

Dante didn't respond. His attention was entirely focused on the sky, which had now turned from blue to a deep, menacing crimson — a blood-red hue that spread across the horizon like a creeping infection.

From the distance, something massive began to take shape. A figure, barely discernible at first, emerged from the farthest edge of the city, rising from the earth like a nightmare given form. It was colossal, its size dwarfing the ruins around it. It moved slowly, each step causing the ground to quake beneath their feet. The creature's silhouette became clearer as it approached, towering above the ruined buildings, its form so vast that it blotted out the sun

"It's him," Dante whispered, his voice barely audible, but full of dread.

Arthur swallowed, his throat dry. "The Calamity."

It was a monstrous abomination made entirely of pulsating, rotting flesh. Its body seemed to constantly shift, as though it was a mass of living tissue struggling to contain the horrors within. Veins as thick as tree roots ran along its misshapen limbs, throbbing with sickly, dark blood.

Massive, jagged teeth jutted out from its body in chaotic, uneven rows. They weren't just confined to its maw, but protruded from its chest, arms, and even its legs, turning the creature into a nightmarish sculpture of raw muscle and fangs. Each tooth was stained with old blood, sharp and glistening, ready to tear apart anything in its path.

Eyes — hundreds of them — covered its body, blinking in a sickening, uncoordinated rhythm. They varied in size, from small, darting ones barely visible in the folds of its flesh, to massive, bulging orbs that rolled and swiveled with a piercing gaze. They glowed with an eerie, malevolent light, tracking every movement from all directions. Some of the eyes seemed half-formed, grotesque and incomplete, while others were fully developed, watching the world with an unsettling, predatory intelligence.

Its arms were long, grotesquely stretched, each ending in clawed hands that seemed more like tools of destruction than limbs. The creature's legs were thick, covered in tendrils of flesh that slithered along the ground, and every step it took sent tremors through the earth.

The Calamity was a living nightmare, a beast sculpted from humanity's darkest fears, its body an obscene canvas of flesh, teeth, and eyes. It radiated an aura of pure dread, its very presence warping the air around it, as if reality itself could barely contain its existence.

But the most disturbing aspect of the creature was its skin. Upon closer inspection, Dante and Arthur could see faces embedded within the folds of its flesh — human faces, contorted in eternal agony. Some appeared to be screaming, others silent, their mouths frozen open in expressions of horror. The faces pressed against the surface of the monster, as if the people they once belonged to were trapped inside, struggling to break free but forever fused into the abomination's form. Their eyes blinked occasionally, their expressions of torment changing slightly, as though they were still alive, experiencing an endless nightmare.

It was as if the creature had been made from the bodies of countless humans, twisted and merged into one grotesque whole. Arms, hands, and legs occasionally protruded from its flesh, twitching or hanging limp, only to be reabsorbed back into the mass. The monster moved with a sickening fluidity, its enormous limbs swinging as it trudged forward, each step leaving the ground beneath it cracked and scorched.

This was not merely a beast. It was a walking, living monument to the horrors humanity had suffered — a creature born of the very people it had consumed. It was a monster made of humans, an embodiment of their despair, their suffering, and their death.

Dante's jaw clenched as he watched the abomination move closer, its grotesque form casting a dark shadow over the ruined buildings. This was the Calamity, the last nightmare they had to face. And to restore peace to the world, they would have to destroy this monstrosity — this living hell.

"This is the last one," Dante said, his voice firm. "Once we take him down, it's over."

Arthur nodded, his expression unreadable, but his hands trembled as he gripped the spear.

Dante tightened his hold on his sword, eyes flicking up to the countdown hovering above their heads.

[00:01:59]

A window appeared in front of him, catching his attention.

[Sender: "Observer of the Infinite Dance": Nervous?]

"No."

[Sender: "Observer of the Infinite Dance": Liar, I know you are. I've spent 12 years with you; I know everything there is to know about you.]

"As soon as I finish off this monster, you and the other spectators are next."

[Sender: "Observer of the Infinite Dance": HAHAHAHA! Alright, I'll be waiting... But, hey, try not to die, okay?]

Dante clenched his jaw, closing the window with a swipe of his hand. Arthur took a shaky breath beside him, the tremors in his hands growing worse as the countdown ticked away.

[00:00:59]

The ground beneath them rumbled, and the air thickened with the scent of blood and decay. The Calamity let out a guttural roar, its flesh shifting and pulsating like something alive within. The creature's many eyes darted in their direction, tracking them with a terrifying precision.

"Arthur," Dante said, not looking away from the monster ahead. "You ready?"

Arthur swallowed hard, adjusting his grip on the spear. "I have to be."

 [00:00:30]

The ground quaked harder, cracks spreading beneath their feet as if the earth itself was revolting against the sheer weight of the monstrosity. The sky, once a deep red, seemed to pulse, as if the world was holding its breath for what was about to come. The Calamity raised one of its massive arms, flesh writhing and twisting, revealing rows of sharp bone protruding through its skin. It was preparing to strike.

Arthur took a deep breath, forcing the trembling in his hands to still. He shifted his stance, spear steady now, aimed directly at one of the creature's many eyes. "Dante, if we fail—"

"We won't," Dante interrupted, his voice cold and resolute. He glanced at the countdown.

[00:00:10]

 "Focus. We strike together."

Arthur nodded, steeling himself as the final seconds ticked away.

[00:00:05]

The Calamity let out another ear-splitting roar, shaking the ground beneath them. Its grotesque eyes all fixed on the two warriors below, its teeth grinding in anticipation. Blood and viscera oozed from its pulsating body, dripping onto the cracked earth like molten tar.

[00:00:02]

Dante raised his sword high, the edge glowing faintly as he channeled every ounce of his strength into the blade.

[00:00:01]

Arthur braced himself, muscles tense, as the spear began to hum with energy. The air around them seemed to vibrate.

[00:00:00]

The countdown hit zero, and the world seemed to stop for the briefest moment. Silence hung in the air, oppressive and heavy. Then, with a deafening crash, the Calamity lunged forward, swinging one massive arm down toward them.

"Now!" Dante yelled, surging forward. He dodged the creature's initial strike, his feet light as he sprinted toward its towering legs. His sword, glowing brighter now, sliced through the air toward one of the pulsating, fleshy eyes.

Arthur followed close behind, his spear aimed for the creature's vulnerable underbelly. As he ran, memories of the last twelve years flashed before him—of the horrors they had fought, the friends they had lost, the hopeless nights spent wondering if humanity would ever rise again. This was it. The final battle. If they failed here, the world was lost.

With a fierce yell, Arthur thrust the spear into the Calamity's flesh. The monster let out a hideous scream, its body convulsing as thick, black blood gushed from the wound. Dante's sword struck true, slicing through one of the creature's eyes with a sickening squelch.

But the Calamity was far from defeated. It reared back, shrieking in rage, its body twisting and writhing. Its many eyes darted wildly, and its teeth clashed together as it prepared to retaliate.

Dante and Arthur barely had time to dodge as the monster lashed out, its massive arm smashing into the ground where they had stood. The force of the impact sent them flying backward, crashing into the remains of a ruined building.

"Dante!" Arthur shouted, scrambling to his feet. Blood trickled from a cut on his forehead, but he ignored it, his eyes fixed on the towering monstrosity before them. "We barely scratched it!"

Dante gritted his teeth, pushing himself up with his sword.

"We just need to keep hitting it. Look—" He pointed toward the wounds they had inflicted. The flesh around the spear wound and the gouged eye was bubbling, sizzling as though the creature was struggling to heal itself. "It's vulnerable. We can beat this thing."

The Calamity let out another roar, its eyes narrowing as it focused on them again. But this time, something was different. The air around the creature seemed to shimmer, and the sky above them grew even darker, the red hue intensifying as if the world itself was reacting to the Calamity's rage.

Arthur glanced at Dante. "Do you feel that?"

Dante nodded, gripping his sword tighter. "Yeah. It's angry now."

The Calamity roared again, louder than before, the guttural sound reverberating through the crumbling ruins around them. Its massive, pulsating body contorted in fury, and the eyes that dotted its flesh now gleamed with a deadly intensity. Dante and Arthur barely had time to catch their breath before the creature attacked once more, its grotesque limbs crashing down like pillars of destruction.

Dante rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the blow, while Arthur leaped back, his spear glowing faintly with the energy he'd channeled. The Calamity's arm slammed into the ground, shattering the stone beneath it and sending debris flying in all directions.

"Arthur, focus on its left side!"

Dante shouted as he rushed forward, blade gleaming as he aimed for another of the creature's eyes. The sword sliced through the air with a sharp hiss, embedding itself into the fleshy, oozing mass of the monster's body. Black, tar-like blood splattered across Dante's armor, but he didn't stop. He pulled the blade free and struck again, this time aiming for the sinewy tendons binding one of its arms.

Arthur lunged, his spear aimed for the same vulnerable area. The point pierced the Calamity's flesh, driving deep into its monstrous form. The creature let out a deafening screech, its arm faltering, twitching violently as Arthur twisted the spear.

But it wasn't enough.

With a mighty swing, the Calamity retaliated, its enormous arm catching Arthur in the side. He flew through the air, crashing into the side of a ruined building with a sickening thud. Dust and debris rained down around him as he struggled to get back to his feet, his vision swimming. Blood dripped from his mouth, but he wiped it away, ignoring the pain.

"Arthur!" Dante called, dodging another swipe from the creature. But before he could reach him, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently. Cracks splintered through the earth, and the air shimmered with a strange, otherworldly energy.

Suddenly, from the distance, a voice broke through the chaos.

"Are we late?"