novelzi Chapter 439 Death Knight
Chapter 439 Death Knight
The air felt different in the Sixth Circle. As soon as Dante crossed the portal, he immediately sensed the change. The scorching heat of the Fifth Circle was replaced by a suffocating, dense, and cold atmosphere. The sky, if it could even be called that, was a pale gray, marked by occasional lightning strikes that illuminated the vast black mountains on the horizon. An unsettling silence dominated the environment, as though even sound was afraid to manifest.
Dante stopped, observing the terrain ahead. The ground was a mixture of ice and ash, and each step echoed like a muffled scream. At the center of this desolate landscape, a massive black fortress rose like a scar on the land. Its towers were grotesque, curved and sharp, resembling the fangs of an ancient creature.
"The Sixth Circle..." Dante murmured, spinning the spear in his hand. "The Circle of Heresy. Quite fitting."
He knew what awaited him there. This was the domain of those who had directly defied the gods, rejected divine laws, and embraced the destruction of sacred beliefs. What made this Circle unique was its dark order: unlike the chaos of the previous Circles, here reigned a cruel and relentless discipline.
Before he could move forward, a metallic sound echoed, reverberating through the mountains. Dante stopped, his gaze as sharp as a blade as he assessed the origin of the noise. From the shadows, figures began to emerge.
They were soldiers, but not like the ones Dante had faced before. Each wore dark armor, etched with glowing runes that pulsed like beating hearts. They wielded spears and swords that exhaled dark energy. They were not ordinary souls; they were the guardians of the fortress, the keepers of the Sixth Circle.
"Ten... twenty... thirty..." Dante counted, his tone almost bored. "Ah, I do love a warm welcome."
The guardians said nothing. As if they were a single entity, they advanced, their weapons ready to strike. Dante smiled, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"It's time to dance."
With a swift movement, he twirled the spear, and the black energy surrounding it exploded in a wave that swept the ground. The first guardians were thrown back, but others quickly took their place. They attacked in perfect synchrony, their swords descending like a swarm of deadly blades.
Dante dodged the first strike with casual ease, the spear's tip piercing the throat of the closest enemy. He pulled the weapon in an arc, severing the head of another soldier who tried to approach from behind. His movements were precise and efficient, each strike a macabre work of art.
"Do you really think numbers will stop me?" Dante taunted, his tone a mixture of disdain and amusement. "You should have brought something more interesting."
One of the guardians raised his sword, and the runes on his armor blazed brightly. A burst of dark energy was launched toward Dante, who merely raised his free hand. A shield made of miasma appeared around him, dissipating the attack as if it were smoke.
"Nice," he admitted. "But useless."
Dante advanced, his spear moving in impossible patterns. He swept the feet of one guardian, stabbing through his chest before throwing the weapon like a projectile. The spear impaled three enemies at once, pinning them against a nearby rock. He snapped his fingers, and the spear returned to his hand as if it had a life of its own.
"Well, that was fun," he muttered to himself, looking around. The remaining guardians, seeing the golem's defeat, hesitated for a moment before disappearing into the shadows, as if they knew they had no chance.
With the battlefield now silent, Dante took a deep breath. He pointed the spear at the ground and used it as support while staring at the black fortress ahead.
"Let's end this."
He walked to the center of the area, where an altar made of bones and black stones glowed with an unnatural energy. Placing his hand on the altar, Dante channeled his own energy into it. The environment around him began to tremble, and a crack opened in the air, releasing a wave of power that made him smile.
"Finally," he murmured. "Death Knights. Are you here?"
For a moment, silence dominated the place. Dante waited patiently, his eyes fixed on the crack that had opened. Then, a presence filled the space, making the air grow denser, almost impossible to breathe. A figure began to emerge from the rift, surrounded by a gray mist. Its silhouette was tall and slender, covered by a black cloak that floated as if alive. It held a silver-bladed scythe, which seemed to absorb the light around it.
Dante's eyes gleamed with excitement as he saw who it was. The figure tilted its head, and its deep voice echoed through the space.
"You called me, invader of Hell?" The voice of the Knight was cold, laden with authority, and at the same time, devoid of emotion. "What is the reason for your audacity in challenging the realm of the dead?"
Dante raised his head, displaying a sarcastic smile. "Reason? I'd say curiosity. I've always wanted to see up close the famous Death, the Horseman of the Apocalypse." He took a step forward, his posture defiant. "And, of course, I have some questions that only you can answer."
Death fell silent for a moment, its figure motionless like a statue. "You do not fear destruction, Dante. That is admirable, but also reckless."
"Ah, recklessness is what brought me here," Dante replied, spinning the spear in his hands. "But let's get to the point. I'm here because I know you have something I need."
"Something you need?" Death repeated, its voice carrying a hint of mild curiosity. "And what would that be?"
"I already have the seven deadly sins, the seven virtues, and now... only Pride is left, along with the souls of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," Dante smiled. "Pestilence, War, Famine, and of course... yours, Death." He grinned as his entire aura manifested.
"Want to steal a concept? You're more of an idiot than I thought," Death responded, however...
"It seems you don't understand... I am the Administrator of Hell, the Progenitor, the Supreme Emperor over everything that exists in Hell... Do you think your authority belongs to whom? Everything within Hell belongs to its owner... Your soul already belongs to me." Dante smiled.