Chapter 36: The Gateway of Shadows
Dante stood before the colossal, swirling vortex of shadows and crimson light, the air crackling with the raw, untamed power of a dimensional rift. This was no mere gateway; it was a gaping maw, a direct conduit to Hell itself, and the primary wellspring of Kieran's power. The demon materialized before him, his form radiating triumph, his eyes burning with an infernal light.
"You sought my source, mortal? Behold! This is the wellspring of my strength, the Heart of the Void made manifest! From here, I draw limitless power, enough to unravel your pathetic world into oblivion!" Kieran's telepathic voice boomed, resonating with the thunderous roar of the vortex, attempting to overwhelm Dante's mind. He gestured towards the swirling abyss, as if inviting Dante to gaze into his inevitable doom.
Dante, however, remained resolute. The Tome of Shadows in his hand pulsed with a counter-energy, a constant reminder of the cosmic balance between creation and destruction. He had anticipated this. Finch's research had hinted at such ultimate nexus points, where the true nature of demonic power was revealed. This was where Kieran's strength was most concentrated, but also, paradoxically, where his essential nature as a conduit, rather than an ultimate source, might reveal a weakness.
He fought back against Kieran's mental assault, not with defiance, but with a profound understanding imparted by the Tome. He perceived Kieran not as an ultimate being, but as a tremendously powerful, yet still bound, entity. The vortex was not Kieran; it was merely a tool, a connection, albeit a colossal one.
"Limitless?" Dante countered, his voice steady despite the overwhelming presence of the gateway. "Or merely a deeper tether? You are a Messenger, Kieran, not the architect of the void itself. You draw from it, but you are not it." He pointed towards the vortex with the Tome. "This is your strength, yes. But it is also your anchor."
Kieran's triumphant expression faltered, replaced by a flicker of genuine shock, then an explosion of unbridled rage. "Insolent worm! You presume to understand forces beyond your comprehension! I am the will of the void! I am the end of all things!"
The demon then launched a massive, concentrated blast of raw dark energy directly from the swirling vortex itself, a torrent of pure annihilation aimed straight at Dante. This was power on a scale far beyond anything he had previously unleashed, a direct manifestation of Hell's might.
Dante reacted instantly. He raised the Tome of Shadows, its pages flipping open, not to any specific text, but to a shimmering, formless expanse of pure void. He channeled an immense amount of his own internal energy, amplified by the Tome, and unleashed a counter-wave of absolute nullification. It wasn't a destructive blast, but an act of unmaking. The two forces met in mid-air – Kieran's concentrated darkness and Dante's channeled void. There was no explosion, no clash of light and shadow. Instead, Kieran's power simply unraveled, dissipating into nothingness with a chilling, soundless implosion, absorbed by Dante's mastery of non-existence.
Kieran recoiled, his form momentarily flickering, as if his very essence had been struck. His eyes, for the first time, held a hint of genuine fear. "What… what power is this? You wield… entropy itself!"
"The Tome teaches balance, Kieran," Dante said, his voice now imbued with a chilling authority derived from the artifact. "And entropy is merely one side of the coin. You've forgotten the other."
Infuriated and momentarily disoriented, Kieran unleashed his most terrifying ability. He began to manipulate the very fabric of the cavern, tearing at the dimensional integrity around them. The ground buckled, ancient stone groaned, and shadowy, grotesque faces of tormented souls briefly appeared in the walls, screaming in silent agony. He was attempting to destabilize reality itself, to drag Dante directly into the abyss with him.
Dante knew this was the moment. He had identified Kieran's weakness: his reliance on the sheer, raw power of the dimensional gateway. The demon was too accustomed to overwhelming his foes; he lacked finesse, the understanding of balance that the Tome provided.
He focused all his remaining energy, pouring it into the Tome. The book flared with a cold, intense light, its pages becoming a window to the true void. Dante then extended his hand, not at Kieran, but at the colossal dimensional vortex. He didn't seek to destroy it; he sought to sever it, to cut Kieran's direct connection to his ultimate power source.
He projected a singular, incredibly focused beam of pure void energy, a needle-thin spear of nothingness, directly into the heart of the swirling gateway. The beam didn't blast or explode; it simply cut.
The roaring vortex shuddered. Its vibrant crimson light flickered, then dimmed. The sound that had filled the cavern began to crackle and then died down to a desperate, wheezing gasp. Kieran shrieked, a sound of pure, unadulterated anguish and disbelief.
"NO! MY LINK! YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
The colossal gateway, the heart of Kieran's strength, began to shrink, to unravel from within, collapsing upon itself with a desperate, sucking sound. Kieran's form flickered wildly, his towering stature visibly diminishing, his aura of immense power rapidly receding. He was being cut off, his lifeforce, his very essence, being starved.
This was his chance. The demon was vulnerable, severed from his infinite wellspring. The true battle had just begun.