The Demon Hunter's Solo Dance and Resolution
"Sir, abnormal energy response detected!" JARVIS's alarm pierced the communication channel.
Tony whirled around—and saw the demon's remaining lower body suddenly explode, tons of dark purple blood defying gravity and suspending in mid-air! This viscous liquid wriggled like living things, instantly condensing into a giant blood sphere hundreds of meters in diameter.
The corpses of the annihilated believers are turning into blood mist, which is being frantically absorbed by the blood spheres!
"Ha, I know this scene..." Dante's Rebellion suddenly trembled, and the demonic runes on the blade glowed with a blinding red light. "The real demon is coming."
Suddenly, human-face-shaped outlines bulged out from the surface of the blood cells, and thousands of distorted faces floated in the blood plasma. They all opened their mouths at the same time, emitting high-frequency shrieks. The sound waves transformed into tangible blood-red ripples that swept across the battlefield, shattering all the glass in the buildings they passed through!
Boom--!
The blood sphere had now expanded to a diameter of three hundred meters, and its surface was covered with lava patterns resembling the skin of a demon.
Sharp bone spurs pierced from within the sphere, like incubating insect eggs. A vertical pupil gradually formed in the center of the sphere—a pupil as vertical as a snake's eye!
"Everyone," Tony's Archangel began assembling again, "Get ready."
"Warning! Energy reaction exceeds critical threshold!"
JARVIS's alarm kept going off.
The blood cells suddenly stopped.
All sound vanished, and the battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
The next second--
Boom
Blood cells explode!
Tons of dark purple blood erupted like a tsunami, and the shockwave leveled all the buildings within a kilometer radius!
Dante's Rebellion plunged into the ground, and the shockwave propelled him backward for dozens of meters.
Tony's mechanical wings instantly deployed an energy barrier, yet he was still blasted through three buildings by the impact.
Steve's cloak fluttered wildly, and he had to dig his hands deep into the ground to steady himself.
Hulk was thrown out and crashed into a Clock Tower.
As the blood mist gradually dissipated...
In the center of the battlefield stood a demon about two meters tall.
The real demon.
Its entire body was jet black, its skin like polished obsidian, gleaming with a cold luster under the blood moon. Every muscle was perfectly sculpted, as if carved with the purest violence. Two pairs of curved demon horns on its back extended backward like crowns, their tips burning with an inextinguishable crimson flame.
What's most terrifying is its eyes--
There were no pupils, only two swirling abysses, as if looking at them for even a second would suck away your soul.
It slowly raised its hand, looked at its long, sharp claws, and then--
He laughed.
That smile sent chills down Dante's spine. It wasn't a ferocious, maniacal laugh, but rather... a look of pure joy. Like the smile of a gourmet seeing a table laden with delicacies, or an artist facing a blank canvas.
Dante stared at the devil's smile, and suddenly the corners of his mouth curled up in the same arc.
"Ha..." He chuckled softly, tapping the hilt of the Rebellion lightly with his fingers. "Looks like I'll have to get a little more serious."
Tony looked up from the wrecked house, his brow furrowed beneath his visor. "Dante, you—"
"You guys go first." Dante waved his hand without turning around. "Go find Bucky and that William guy or something. I'll handle things here."
Steve's cloak trembled under the demon's oppressive aura, and he said in a deep voice, "This is not the time to be reckless."
Dante finally turned around, his smile widening. "Showing off?" He pointed to himself, then to the demon opposite him. "I'm a professional demon hunter. You're just getting in the way."
Tony's mech scanner flashed wildly, and JARVIS's voice crackled through the comms. "Sir, the target's energy reading has exceeded the database limit. Recommendation—"
"I suggest you get out of here right now," Dante interrupted, flicking his right hand to eject the magazine from the Ivory. He slowly loaded in a few special bullets engraved with runes. "This guy can't be dealt with by sheer numbers."
The demon remained standing, its obsidian-like skin gleaming coldly under the blood moon. It tilted its head, seemingly enjoying the conversation.
Tony paused for a second, then suddenly raised his hand, and all the missile pods on the mech's shoulder locked onto the demon. "At least let us help you weaken it--"
"Save your breath, idol." Dante snapped the magazine shut, slung the Rebellion over his shoulder, and said, "Your weapons are like toys to it."
As if to prove this statement, the demon suddenly raised his hand—
Swish!
The twelve miniature missiles that Tony had just launched froze in mid-air, then exploded into powerless sparks as if crushed by an invisible hand.
"..." Tony's expression finally changed beneath his visor.
Dante cracked his neck, his bones making a crisp sound. "Alright, time for chit-chat over." He held the Ebony in his left hand and the Ivory pistol in his right, crossed over his chest. "If you don't leave now, I won't have time to protect you later."
Steve took a deep breath, the light from his Gold Cloth flickering slightly. "Dante, are you sure?"
"Ha!" Dante laughed, then suddenly lunged at the demon, the Rebellion drawing a crimson Arc Light. "This is much more fun than playing video games!"
The demon finally moved—its movements were so fast they almost left a blur. Its obsidian claws collided with the Rebellion, sending sparks flying!
Clang
The shockwave exploded instantly, and the ground within a radius of 100 meters collapsed with a deafening roar!
Tony's mech was pushed back several meters by the blast wave. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Everyone, proceed as planned!"
Hulk crawled out of the rubble, his green skin covered in dust. "Hulk wants to smash things!"
"There's plenty of stuff for you to smash." Tony grabbed Hulk's shoulder, propelling the mechanical wings forward at full speed. "But not this—we need to find Bucky and that William first."
Steve took one last look at the battlefield— Dante's figure was already entangled with the demon, the flashes of blades, gunfire, and obsidian afterimages flickering wildly under the blood moon, each collision causing the air to tremble.
He turned and followed Tony, his cape billowing behind him. "Hank, replan our route, let's bypass the main battlefield!"
The Beast replied through the communicator, "It's already underway! There's a strong energy reaction in the church's basement; Bucky and William should be there!"
Dante dodged the demon's claws with a backflip, plunging the Rebellion into the ground to a sudden stop, and fired a barrage of bullets from his left hand Ebony. The bullets exploded in the demon's chest, leaving only a few shallow white marks.
"Tsk, that's thick-skinned." He blew away the gunpowder smoke from the muzzle. "Looks like I'll have to use something special..."
The demon suddenly disappeared--
The next second, Dante felt a chill on the back of his neck. He looked down sharply as the obsidian claws grazed his hair!
"Hey, sneaking up isn't gentlemanly." Dante swiftly swept his leg, but the demon nimbly jumped back to avoid it.
The two faced off again, the devil's lips still curved into a pleased smile.
Dante flicked his wrist, then suddenly grinned. "Alright, since the audience's all gone..."
He held the Rebellion upright in front of his chest—
"Let's dance, baby."
The runes on the Rebellion lit up, the blade lengthened to twice its original length, and crimson lightning crackled around its edges.
The demon seemed to finally take an interest; it leaned forward slightly and made a 'please' gesture.
Dante laughed loudly, "That's more like it!"
"Round one~" he whistled, his voice carrying his characteristic nonchalance.
He charged forward suddenly, crimson magic leaving a trail of blood behind him, the Rebellion clashing once more with the obsidian claws—
Boom!!!!
The instant the Rebellion clashed with the demon's claws, Dante suddenly released his left hand, using the recoil to leap into the air. He gracefully flipped his body in mid-air, the hem of his coat tracing a perfect arc, while his right hand, holding the knife, precisely sliced across the demon's chest.
Sizzle--!
For the first time, obsidian-like skin was torn open, and molten demonic blood gushed out. The demon looked down in astonishment, Dante had already used the splattered blood as leverage to flip backward, his twin pistols now in his hands.
Bang bang bang bang!
The Ivory and Ebony fired alternately, each bullet striking the demon's temple with pinpoint accuracy. The demon staggered back, Dante pressed his advantage, suddenly sheathing his pistols and gripping the Rebellion with both hands—
"Stinger!" (Thrust!)
A crimson flash of lightning erupted from the blade, Dante pierced the demon's chest like an arrow released from a bow! The aftershock shattered the windows of buildings across half a block, and the demon was pinned to the exterior wall of a house three hundred meters away.
"It's not over yet~" Dante whistled, brandishing his sword. Suddenly, as if by magic, he produced a Faust Hat with his left hand, and Balrog Gauntlets with his right. Both magical artifacts glowed simultaneously, and in the instant the demon struggled to his feet—
Boom!
Purple energy blades and Hellfire fists intertwined to form a death spiral, shredding the entire house into pieces! Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the demon's obsidian body.
"You're more resilient than I thought." Dante landed lightly on a tilted lamppost, tilting his head to reveal his signature roguish grin. "However—"
Suddenly, the demon sprang into action! Six bone spurs shot out from behind, enveloping Dante like a prison. Dante, however, smiled even more broadly, and even opened his arms to meet the attack.
Just as the bone spike was about to strike, Dante's figure suddenly blurred. His movements were faster than anything else, and the Rebellion drew a perfect defensive circle in front of him.
Ding ding ding ding!
All the bone spikes were deflected precisely, causing the demon to lose its balance. Dante seized the opportunity, using the Rebellion to propel himself through the air, spinning 720 degrees before bringing his right leg down with tremendous force!
"Devil Breaker!"
The kick struck the demon's skull, sending a shockwave rippled outwards in a ring. The demon's legs sank into the ground, and a noticeable crack appeared in its obsidian skull.
"Round two~" Dante landed lightly, catching the falling Rebellion with effortless grace.
The demon finally showed a pained expression, tearing open its chest and drawing a twisted longsword made of its spine. Dante whistled, "It should have been done sooner!"
Amidst the flashing blades, Dante suddenly changed tactics, using the hilt of his sword to deflect the bone sword, his left hand now wielding a shotgun—"Wild Wolf-A"—
Bang!
The demon's right shoulder was blasted to pieces, Dante seized the opportunity to charge forward, his Rebellion slashing upwards from below:
"Rising Dragon!"
The blade light transformed into a crimson dragon, hurling the demon hundreds of meters into the air.
Dante appeared like a phantom above the demons, wielding the Rebellion in a slash:
"Overdrive!"
This strike sent the demon crashing back to the ground, creating a crater fifty meters in diameter.
As the demon struggled at the bottom of the pit, Dante had already assumed his ultimate stance— the Rebellion extended a dazzling energy blade.
"Jackpot!"
A crimson blade flashed, cleaving the battlefield in two. The shockwave dispersed the blood-red clouds, and moonlight shone down once more.
As the smoke cleared, the demon knelt at the end of the ravine, its body shattered. It stared in disbelief at its disintegrating form, then at Dante approaching.
"I told you so~" Dante slung the Rebellion over his shoulder, a signature smile playing on his lips. "Leave the professional stuff to the professionals."
The demon vanished in a red dot of light. Dante bent down, picked up a small piece of the demon's horn, and examined it in the moonlight. "A nice souvenir."
After escaping the battlefield between Dante and the demon, Tony and his group rushed to the Dewen County Cathedral.
The church steeple cast a distorted shadow under the blood moon. Tony's armor had just finished scanning the church doors when JARVIS suddenly sounded an urgent alarm, "Sir, high energy reaction—"
The church doors shattered violently, and a massive pillar of fire erupted from them. Tony and his companions quickly dodged, and by the time they stood up, people were already flying through the air outside the church.
"Bucky?" Steve's voice cracked slightly.
The armor hovering in the air had completely changed—lava-like patterns flowed along its joints, the faceplate had been transformed into the shape of a demon's skull, and the eyes emitted a ghostly green Fel Energy. Most unsettling of all were the six mechanical tentacles extending from the back of the armor, each ending in a rotating Demon Eye.
The shadow of the church steeple suddenly twisted and deformed, Bucky's armor hovered beneath the blood moon, and his six mechanical tentacles writhed like living things.
When Steve called out that name, the demon mask snapped open, revealing half of his face that had been demonized. Red and black keratin covered the right side of his cheek, and the whites of his eyes were completely filled with eerie green.
Bucky's mouth was torn open to his ears, revealing shark-like fangs. "Steve..." His voice reverberated, "Are you here to die?"
"You've been controlled!" Steve shouted. "Hydra brainwashing—"
"Brainwashing?" Bucky suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. "I willingly accepted the Hell Contract!" He tapped his breastplate, which opened automatically, revealing the Demon Core embedded in the reactor—a pulsating, dark red heart pumping out liquid Fel Energy.
Tony's scanner went into overdrive. "Energy reading exceeds megajoules!"
"Why?" Steve's fists trembled.
Bucky's mechanical tentacles suddenly straightened, and all six Demon Eye locked onto Steve. He tilted his head, his face, covered in keratin, contorted into a ferocious arc—
"For no reason," a triple-reverberated voice seeped from the gap in the visor, "Because I want to."
The mechanical tentacles suddenly sprang up! At the tip of each tentacle, Demon Eye simultaneously unleashed eerie green rays, weaving together a net of deathly light that descended upon them!
"Including killing you."
The moment the visor slammed shut, Bucky swooped down like a cannonball! His right arm claws, wreathed in liquid Fel Energy, left five dark red trails in the air!
Tony's thrusters were at full throttle. "Spread out!"
Boom
The Vibranium claws collided with Steve's Star Shield, and the resulting shockwave shattered the fountain statue in front of the church! Bucky's mechanical tentacles, as if alive, stabbed from all sorts of tricky angles, each one accompanied by a piercing whistling sound!
"Bucky!" Steve's arm muscles bulged, and his Star Shield emitted a dazzling light. "Wake up!"
"I'm perfectly clear-headed!" Bucky's attacks became increasingly ferocious, and his six tentacles suddenly changed their attack pattern—three of them wrapped around Star Shield, while the other three, like spears, went straight for Steve's throat!
At the critical moment, a figure in gold and red crashed in from the side. Tony's palm cannon fired at full power, forcing Bucky back several meters. "Captain! He's not listening to me right now!"
Hulk roared as he leaped from the rubble, his giant green fist slamming into Bucky with a sonic boom. "Hulk, smash him!"
Bucky sneered, and the Demon Core in his chest suddenly pulsed. The mechanical tentacles on his back instantly reformed, weaving together to form a Fel Energy shield—
Thump!!!
Hulk's fist slammed into the shield, and the Quake sent him flying! Bucky used the momentum to leap into the air, his six tentacles unfurling like a peacock's tail, each ending in Demon Eye that began to charge!
"Warning! Energy reading has exceeded the critical value!" JARVIS's voice was urgent.
Tony immediately activated all defense matrices. "All personnel, defensive stance!"
Six Paths eerie green beams of light descended from the sky! The instant the beams touched the ground, all the paving stones in the entire church square turned to dust! The shockwave shattered all the glass in buildings within a radius of 100 meters!
In the smoke and dust, a fine crack appeared on Steve's shield. He knelt on one knee, the Star Shield deeply embedded in the ground.
Tony's armor, sparks flying, scrambled to his feet. "Damn it, I shouldn't have given up on this armor..."
Before he could finish speaking, Bucky had already teleported in front of Tony! Vibranium claws, wreathed in liquid Fel Energy, shot straight at the reactor. "Talkative Iron Man!"
"Lightning Beam Fist!"
Steve's Gold Cloth burst forth with dazzling light, and his fists transformed into countless golden meteors, each strike precisely hitting the joints of the mechanical tentacles. A dense clanging of metal filled the air, forcing Bucky to retreat step by step.
"It's useless..." A low laugh came from beneath Bucky's demonic mask, and his six tentacles suddenly retracted into a defensive stance. "Your mercy will kill everyone."
Steve's punching style suddenly changed—a feint with his left fist, but his right fist, at a tricky angle, passed through the tentacle defense and struck Bucky squarely in the chest!
"Bang!"
The Demon Core was briefly extinguished by the punch, Bucky staggered back three steps. Steve seized the opportunity, his golden cloak fluttering as his legs transformed into a golden whirlwind:
Seven consecutive kicks struck the Root tentacles, the final kick sending Bucky crashing into the church's outer wall. Amidst the flying debris, a crack appeared in Bucky's visor.
"Captain! He's absorbing our attack energy!" Tony's warning came through the communicator.
Sure enough, the Demon Core in Bucky's chest pulsated violently, and dark red light seeped out through the cracks. He slowly stood up, his tentacles twisting and rearranging themselves in a bizarre manner.
"Is that all?" Bucky's voice was laced with disdain. "Not even a warm-up."
Steve assumed a defensive stance. "Bucky, I know you can hear me..."
"Ha!" Bucky suddenly sprang up, three tentacles aimed straight for Steve's throat, while the other three turned towards the onrushing Hulk!
"Hulk, watch out!" Steve shouted.
It's too late.
Pfft!
Three tentacles pierced through Hulk's abdomen, and the Demon Eye began to unleash tearing energy!
"Roar--!" Hulk roared in pain, and cracks began to appear on his green skin.
Bucky's faceplate was completely cracked, revealing a ferocious smile, "Let's start with this green garbage..."
"No!" Steve's pupils contracted sharply.
Faced with this situation, Steve was still struggling with his decision.
"Steve! If you keep hesitating like this, Hulk is going to die!" Tony's roar exploded through the communicator. His armor was already damaged in several places, and the lightsaber on his left arm was clashing violently with Bucky's tentacles, sparking blinding flashes.
Steve looked up— the Hulk was impaled in the abdomen by three tentacles, and his green skin was being corroded into gray-black at a visible rate.
Bucky's Demon Eye gleamed with a cruel light, and his tentacles began to slowly rotate, attempting to tear Hulk's body apart completely.
"I'm sorry... Bucky ..." Steve's voice trembled, and a phantom image of a lion's head appeared on his fist.
Bucky seemed to sense something and abruptly turned his head. Beneath his cracked visor, a flicker of surprise crossed his demonic right eye. "You...?"
"Plasma Lightspeed Fist!"
Countless fist shadows appeared in the air, each punch containing the Constellation Power, and the speed of the punches broke the limit of the speed of light! Bucky's tentacles broke inch by inch in the face of absolute power, Hulk finally broke free from his restraints.
"Impossible..." Bucky stared at his shattered mechanical limbs. "How could this be..."
"No... stop!" Steve realized he couldn't control his power. He tried to pull back, but the shadows of fists continued to rain down.
The golden fist energy, like a sword piercing the heavens and earth, pierced directly through Bucky's chest. The Demon Core disintegrated in the blinding light, and a huge hole was blasted into Bucky's mechanical body.
"Cough... Well done... Steve ..." Black blood spilled from Bucky's mouth, but a ferocious smile appeared on his face. His mechanical claws suddenly gripped Steve's shoulder, and the remaining Demon Eye flashed with a crazed light.
Pfft!
With a final blow, Bucky's claws pierced deep into Steve's abdomen.
"Captain!" Tony's thrusters were fully activated, and he instantly rushed to the two of them. He grabbed the staggering Steve and his armor immediately sprayed out hemostatic gel.
"Medical spray! Hang in there!" Tony's voice was urgent as he turned to Hulk, "JARVIS, analyze Hulk's injuries!"
Bucky's body began to disintegrate, his armor scattering like black snowflakes. His visor flickered one last time, the electronic voice trailing off intermittently:
"Ha, Steve, I'll be waiting for you in... hell..."
As the last piece of mechanical debris turned to ashes, Steve knelt on the ground, the light of his Gold Cloth dimming.
Tony quickly injected him with nano-repair agents. "Don't move, the wound is deep. Hulk's situation is worse; those tentacles have been injected with some kind of corrosive substance..."
Hulk lay weakly amidst the rubble, while Tony's medical drone provided him with emergency treatment.
"I...killed him..." Steve stared at his fist, stained with black blood, his voice hoarse.
Tony was silent for a moment, his expression complex beneath his visor. "You saved us all, Captain. That... isn't Bucky anymore."
In the distance, a crimson blade of light pierced the heavens and earth, splitting the battlefield in two. The shockwave dispersed the blood-red clouds, and moonlight shone down once more.
The moment the blade touched the Dewen County Cathedral, the ancient stone building seemed to be neatly sliced open, the stained glass windows refracting an eerie light in the air, and the head of the icon slowly slid down along the smooth cut.
The church doors turned to dust in silence. William had just stepped out of the church, intending to reap the rewards of the battle, when a blood-red blade pierced through his body.
"This is impossible..."
Before he could finish speaking, his body separated in a perfect straight line, falling to the sides.
"Finished, call it a day." Dante appeared not far away at some point.
He glanced at the dejected Steve, the anxious Tony, and the weak Hulk, shrugged, and pressed the button on his headset.
"Blue kittens, we need you here."