Rise Of The Death Monarch

Dante watched Medea's mana wash over his arm, but that's when she was hit by another Light Bolt, destroying her forever. He equipped his daggers and blocked Theodore's cane; the old man's eyes were full of rage. ''You vile creature! Pretending to be a human only to attack me when my back was turned!''

''Raoul! Now!'' he shouted, ignoring the enemy's rant.

From a swirling vortex of shadow, the Death Knight Goblin erupted, its blade flashing as it lunged for the old man's legs. But a blazing A-ranked warrior leapt into the fray, his sword meeting the Goblin's with a clang, sending sparks everywhere. From the darkness, a second human lunged, his blade arcing toward his exposed back.

But in a flash of steel, Henry materialized, his colossal sword blocking the strike with a thunderous clash that shook the earth. Dante spun, eyes blazing, and hurled his twin daggers at the ambusher. The enemy grunted as one blade sank into his shoulder, though he parried the second before clashing against Henry in a whirlwind of steel.

Gilbert and the Death Knight Goblin charged into the fight, but the tide turned when Theodore unleashed a blinding Light Beam. The Light Goddess's energy tore through the undead, reducing them to ash in an instant. Dante's fury ignited, his eyes burning with rage as two of his undead minions were ripped from existence.

His gaze locked onto the old man, who was already weaving another spell, his hands crackling with power. Several deadly bolts of magic sliced through the air, their raw energy radiating a terrifying aura, making his blood run cold, rooting him to the spot. But before the deadly barrage could strike, three figures materialized in front of him.

Mary, Marianne, and Henry blocked its path to him. The Death Wraith turned to him with the biggest smile, bidding him farewell. ''Thanks for making my life enjoyable, handsome. I hope you find your happiness!''

Dante's eyes widened in horror as the white-haired Wraith let out a fierce scream, blocking the spell for a second to allow her parents to cover him. Only for a cataclysmic explosion to erupt, its force destroying them in a blinding flash. The shockwave hurled him through the forest, branches snapping as he crashed into the side of a mountain.

The impact reverberated across Nemaroth as Dante crashed to the ground, bloodied, broken, and done with life as everything had been taken from him. He could feel Sulla and Raoul rushing toward the old man who was hobbling along. His last Death Knights tried their best to defend him, but it was too late.

Theodore's rage-filled gaze snapped to the Death Lich as he cast a wicked Light Spell so fast the undead couldn't react, except to look at the Goblin to give him one last warning before flinging Raoul away just as he got hit. ''Watch over our lord, he will lose everything again. This time, he will become what the Death Goddess needs.''

Dante locked onto Sulla's body as it shattered under the human's onslaught, the Death Knight's anguished wail echoing in his hollow heart. Rage surged through him, a tide that threatened to consume what little remained of his soul. But this is where the pain was only getting worse.

From the Domain, his Elf Bella emerged, her once-gentle face now a mask of defiant anguish, a confident yet strained smile crossing her lips. She planted herself between him and Theodore, body trembling as she prepared her magic. ''You aren't going to kill him!'' she screamed, her voice cracking with grief.

Soon, she unleashed a stream of death magic at the enemy. The air thrummed thanks to her power, fuelled by losing Mary and the others, her hope, the world she'd believed would bring her the happiness she craved. Moments later, the Elf's anger burned so fiercely that her power began to draw on her very life force, each spell blazing with twice the strength.

Dante felt the cost, which was draining the light from her eyes. 'No! Not again!'

His heart shattered as he watched, his voice a broken roar as he forced himself to his feet, blood running down his face. ''How! HOW! How the fuck is this happening again!''

But his words were drowned out, his body too broken to reach her, his soul too heavy with the weight of everything he'd already lost. Bella's spells flared brighter, each one a piece of her life slipping away, and his rage gave way to a bone-deep sorrow. She was fighting for him, but every pulse of her magic was a step closer to her end.

Following that, everything went to shit as Theodore vanished, leaving a cruel echo of his laughter. In an instant, he reappeared in front of Bella, her eyes still fierce. Without a word, his hand thrust forward, a blade of pure light impaled her through the heart. She gasped, a soft, broken sound that pierced Dante like a thousand shards.

He watched her body arch in agony as blood bloomed across her chest. Theodore's face twisted as he unleashed a blinding Light spell, tearing through her, scorching the Elf from within. Bella's scream was cut short, her life force unravelling. Dante's world cracked open; rage exploded in his chest like a supernova, drowning out the pain of his wounds.

''No!'' he roared, his voice a guttural howl of fury, forcing his broken body forward in a desperate charge toward the old man.

But Theodore merely flicked his wrist, a force slamming Dante to the ground, his ribs cracking, his breath stolen. He clawed at the earth helplessly as Bella turned her dimming gaze to him. She managed a smile, a fragile, heartbreaking gesture that held all the love they'd shared, all the dreams they'd whispered in stolen moments.

''Live... for me,'' she whispered, her voice a fading breeze.

Then, she was gone, dissolving into nothingness, her essence scattering like autumn leaves in the wind, leaving only the echo of her warmth in Dante's soul. The void she left was unbearable, a gaping wound that swallowed his rage and birthed an ocean of grief. But the nightmare deepened.

Raoul, the last Death Knight, erupted from the shadows with the last members of the Death Army, warriors loyal to the end, charging in a futile bid to avenge their losses. His blade gleamed with resolve, but Theodore raised a trembling hand. With a wave, a cataclysmic wave of light erupted, exterminating them all in a heartbeat.

Dante stood frozen as the Goblin shattered into nothingness, its eyes locking with his in a fleeting, silent plea for forgiveness before fading into the void. The enemy army crumbled, leaving only an oppressive silence in its wake. Alone in a world, he collapsed onto the blood-soaked earth.

Theodore, barely alive himself, hobbled toward him on legs that shook with exhaustion, his voice a rasping croak of victory. ''Look at what I've achieved, boy,'' he bragged, each word a dagger twisting deeper. ''Your knights, your army, your precious elf... all gone. The others, I killed them all. And now, you... You'll die just like them.''

He felt the weight of loss crushing him, the Death Goddess's cold embrace the only thing left to claim his fractured existence. The old man, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee, lunged forward, his hand morphing into a spear. It pierced his stomach in a sickening thrust, twisting deep into his flesh, hot blood spilling forth like tears.

Moments later, Dante gasped as pain exploded through him, his vision swimming in red. The wound was a cruel echo of all the losses that had led to this moment: his knights, his army, Bella's fading smile, Mary's words. He crumpled further into the dirt, clutching at the injury, his body trembling not just from agony, but from the utter hopelessness that clawed at him.

Theodore leaned in close, his breath a foul whisper of triumph. But before the old man could speak to savor his victory, a horrible aura descended upon the scene, chilling the air and stirring the remnants of death magic into a frenzy. The old man's gloating faltered, his frail form stiffening as if sensing the inevitable.

Just as he pulled back to escape the consequences of his slaughter, a deafening crash shattered the silence, a thunderous impact that shook the ground like the roar of an ancient beast awakening from slumber. Dante forced himself to look, his heart pounding. There, amid the swirling dust and shadows, loomed a massive Black Wolf.

Its fur is as dark as the void, blue eyes glowing with feral hunger. The beast's jaws were clamped around Theodore, who was screaming in futile rage as razor-sharp teeth crunched through bone. Blood sprayed in arcs, and Theodore's brags turned to gurgling pleas as he was killed.

The wolf chewed, each bite a gruesome echoed across the Dark Forest as he stopped making noise, before swallowing him whole in one gulp, his final cry echoing into nothingness.