novelzi Chapter 426 Minos
Chapter 426 Minos
A colossal demon descended slowly, its monumental presence dominating the desolate landscape. Its form was a grotesque work of horror and power. The upper half resembled a man of titanic proportions, muscular and imposing, with pale skin that seemed almost translucent, its black veins pulsating like rivers of malevolent energy. Its fiery eyes, red as burning coals, pierced Dante with a gaze that mixed curiosity and challenge, as if assessing a potential prey.
Below the waist, however, its form became something beyond human. A massive serpentine body extended for meters, its scales gleaming in a dark metallic green that seemed to absorb the light around it. Every movement of its tail made the fractured ground of the Limbo tremble, loose rocks leaping as if protesting the very existence of the creature.
"Minos," Dante muttered, his voice heavy with disdain. He needed no introduction — this demon was a legendary figure, a guardian of the Limbo and a judge of souls. The name slipped from his lips like a curse, each syllable imbued with contempt.
Minos tilted his monstrous head, a sinister smile twisting his lips. "Ah, Dante... Finally, you've come. The king who dares to defy everything." His voice was deep, reverberating like distant thunder, filling the air with an oppressive weight.
Dante took a step forward, his black cloak swirling in an invisible wind, the energy around him pulsing in challenge. He narrowed his eyes, his expression as cold as steel. "Impressive that you came personally to try and do something against me. Tell me, what do you want?"
Minos laughed, a guttural sound echoing through the vastness of the Limbo. He slithered closer, his serpentine tail crushing rocks beneath his weight. "You speak with boldness, mortal. But here, your words hold no power. In the Limbo, I am the judge. And no one passes through me without facing their own shadows."
"Ah, how wonderful," Dante responded sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. He spread his arms in a theatrical gesture. "Then let's go. Judge me, 'great judge.' Show me what you're made of."
Minos roared, his voice shaking the very earth. "You think you can provoke me as if I were a toy? I am Minos, the guardian of this circle! And you will be just another fallen soul to perish here!"
Dante chuckled softly, but there was no humor in his laugh — only a cold, deadly confidence. "Well... considering what I'll do once I reach the last cycle... I don't think there's any problem doing whatever I want..."
Minos didn't respond with words. Instead, his body lunged forward, his serpentine tail whipping with enough force to split mountains. Dante, with superhuman reflexes, dodged the attack with a leap backward, landing on a rocky formation.
"Too slow," Dante taunted, his eyes glowing with dangerous energy.
Minos roared again, his fury growing. He raised his muscular arms, summoning a whirlwind of wind and darkness that began to envelop the space around them. It was as if the Limbo itself was responding to the command of its guardian, reality warping around him.
Dante, however, remained unshaken. He raised one hand, and a dark aura began to emanate from his body. The air around him crackled with power, as if he was gathering energy for a devastating strike.
Minos' tail lashed again, and Dante barely managed to dodge. Even so, he was struck by a lateral blow that sent him flying once more. He rolled across the ground, spitting blood, but refusing to stay down.
"What's the matter, Dante?" Minos roared, his voice filled with triumph. "Not used to facing someone stronger than you?"
Dante stood up again, panting but with a defiant grin on his face. "Stronger? Maybe. But that doesn't mean you're going to win."
He extended his hand and murmured ancient words, an invocation in a forgotten tongue. The earth beneath his feet began to tremble, black cracks spreading as a new energy emerged. From the ground, dark thorns shot up, speeding toward Minos like spears. Some of them hit the colossus, drawing a grunt of pain from him.
"Ah, finally got your attention," Dante said, his eyes glowing with renewed determination. He knew he hadn't yet found Minos' weak point, but every second he gained brought him closer to a solution.
Minos, however, appeared more furious than injured. He rose even taller, his colossal form blocking the pale light of Limbo. With a deafening roar, he summoned a vortex of energy that began to pull everything around it in, like a whirlwind. Dante fought against the crushing force, planting his feet on the ground and resisting with everything he had.
"You don't belong here!" Minos bellowed, his voice reverberating throughout the expanse of Limbo. "I am the guardian of this domain, and you will not pass!"
Dante gritted his teeth, his body being pulled by the vortex, but he refused to give in. He gripped his sword tighter, the blade glowing with black energy that seemed to pulse with its own will.
"If I didn't belong here," Dante shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos, "then you would have already destroyed me! I admit you're strong, Minos... but you're not strong enough to stop me!"
Dante advanced with a speed that defied the gravity of the whirlwind, each step reverberating like thunder as he cut the distance between him and Minos. The roar of the vortex grew louder, but Dante seemed indifferent, his determination turning each movement into a challenge to Limbo itself.
Furious with the Demon King's resilience, Minos struck with both hands, as if trying to crush Dante like an insect. The impact sent a wave of energy exploding in all directions, but Dante dodged at the last moment, leaping into the air. He spun in mid-air, his sword emitting a deep, dark glow, and struck directly at Minos' head.
The impact finally made the colossus stagger back, a grunt of pain escaping his lips. While the wound wasn't fatal, it was deep enough to make it clear that Dante was a real threat. Minos stepped back a few meters, his tail slithering as he observed Dante with a new look in his eyes—one of not just disdain, but recognition.
"You're more stubborn than I thought, Dante," Minos said, his voice echoing with a mix of anger and respect. "But persistence isn't enough. This is my domain, and here, even the strongest fall."
"You talk too much," Dante retorted, a cold smile on his face. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and raised his sword again, his hands steady despite the fatigue that was starting to weigh on his muscles. "If this is the best you've got, then I'm disappointed."