Mara's demonic sword, popularly known as Theos, looked menacing as it's blade pointed towards Dante.
"Dante, are you sure a fight here is ideal?" Luke asked as he looked around.
"It sure is" Dante said, his eyes fixated on Mara.
In his right hand, Rahil was fixed in place, ready for a fight.
A/N: I'll be calling swords by their names so please don't be confused. Dante's sword is Rahil and Mara's (Fester) sword is Theos. Thanks readers.
" Luke, cast an invisibility rune around us, now!" Dante ordered.
Luke took out a morale and hurriedly drew a circular string of runes on the ground around them.
Immediately he did that, Dante charged at Mara, swinging his sword. Mara charged too and the battle ensued. Dante's first attack was blocked by Mara, generating a loud metallic cling. Mara grunted and turned his body, making him able to kick Dante's legs. Dante lost footing, giving his opponent the opportunity to slice toward his face. Dante, however, was a step ahead and disappeared in his signature purple mist. Mara was stunned for a second and that was enough time for Dante to slice Mara's left leg off from behind. Mara screamed in pain, but his leg grew back slowly. Dante took his chance sliced at the demon again, creating a sword wave which sped towards Mara. The demon was smart enough to dodge quickly but that was the last straw.
"Bathe in the sins of my enemies and drink from the fears of my foes. Sin! Theos!"
The incantations made a crackling ball of green energy, roughly the size of a basketball, form at the tip of Theos.
Mara used Theos's blade to slice the ball into two and then he recited again.
'Detonate!"
"Shit! "Luke and Dante said at the same time.
A huge explosion ensued, creating a mini Shockwave. Half of Lakeview High was blown away and the other half was scorched black. Seventy percent of the students died immediately and the other thirty tried their very best to crawl out of the debris that had collapsed on them.
Dante and Luke, however were protected by a force field Luke had created in the nick of time. Dante looked around at the burning school and saw one of his friends, crushed by a boulder. That made the strings that bound his humanity snap.
"You son of a bitch!" he screamed.
His eyes burned with a purple glow of rage. Purple spikes erupted from the ground around Dante, some as tall as light poles.
"I'm going to kill you demon." he said coldly.
A horn grew on his forehead as he was copying Mara's demonic race. He got ready to attack but suddenly, the rose tattoo on his neck glowed. A severe pain ravaged his body and he fell down, moaning in pain. Luke hurried over immediately, and propped him up.
"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
"No!" Dante managed to respond with gritted teeth.
"Weaklings!" Mara laughed and sent a sword wave speeding towards them.
Luke immediately bared his fangs and took a fighting stance.
However, before it hit them, it disappeared without a trace.
"Luke get him to the Paladin palace. They should know what to do." Charles ordered in his normal cheerful voice.
"What's wrong with him?" Luke demanded.
"The idiot copied a demon's race and it instantly activated his curse. Hurry up"
Luke sped off with the now unconscious Dante in his arms.
"And as for you, what do you think I should do with you?" he asked in mock confusion.
"Move away old man! This doesn't concern you."
"Old man! Now I'm pissed!" Charles laughed.
In the span of a second, he was right in front of Mara. He grabbed the demon's right arm, sword and all, and ripped it off with his bare hands. He followed up with a kick to Mara's neck, blowing the latter away with an extraordinary force.
"W... Who are you?" Mara stammered.
"I go by many names. I'm known to most as the Vampire progenitor but the Transylvanians like to call me Count Dracula"
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Izalea slowly directed a stream of water onto Dante's immobile body, lying on an altar. The water covered him fully, leaving only his face exposed.
"Now all of you, put your hands in the water." she instructed to the rest of the Paladins gathered around the altar. They did what she said. Thalia's hand glowed bright red in the water, Will's glowed golden, Pearl's green, Mary's white and finally Dante's whole body glowed purple.
This went on for about two minutes and finally, the light subsided. Will carried Dante's body out and placed him on a large wooden slab.
"What did that do?" Luke asked curiously.
"We combined our Arcaneum to temporarily stop the curse from manifesting and turning Dante into a full blown demon. Dante needs to kill Asmodeus within the next few weeks in the mundane realm." Izalea muttered, glancing at Dante's unconscious body.
************************'*********
" So you're telling me that you, a well dressed obviously British vampire is the ruthless Count Dracula? "Fester laughed.
"Yes I am. Anyways, you might want to take care of your wounds. I don't think they're healing." Charles said, pointing to Mara.
'Why isn't it regenerating? Who the hell is this guy?' Mara screamed in his head.
"Okay now I'm tired of waiting." Charles said and sped out of sight.
He arrived behind Mara but this time, Mara swung his hands backwards in anticipation of that move. However, that was a huge mistake. Charles evaded it smoothly and grabbed Mara's shoulder. With great ease, he broke the bones there and with Theos, he sliced that arm too off.
He jumped back a few meters and before Mara knew it, his body was in two parts, with blood spraying out of each half.